An employee with Ipsun Solar installs solar panels on the roof of the Peace Lutheran Church in Alexandria, Virginia on May 17, 2021.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds | AFP | Getty Images
Ramping up investment in policies and technologies to tackle climate change could play a significant role in the global economy’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
In a recent note, Charles Dumas, chief economist at U.K.-based investment research firm TS Lombard, said that action on climate change is often criticized as moving too slowly. However, with governments increasing spending to aid their post-Covid economies, they may start catching up.
A key tenet of this is the ever-decreasing cost of electricity per megawatt hour, according to figures from TS Lombard, with costs of solar, offshore and onshore wind dropping over the last 10 years, while gas and coal have remained largely the same.
“Effectively by 2030 the cost of renewable electricity is going to be half that of coal and gas sourced electricity,” Dumas told CNBC.
These trends will bring many of the various pledges to reach net zero more closely in sight.
The fatal floods in Germany in recent weeks have put the impacts of climate change firmly in the spotlight again but they are only the latest in a series of devastating extreme weather events of late, including the sprawling wildfires in Oregon.
COP26 priorities
Amid this backdrop, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, better known as COP26, will meet in Glasgow in November. It will mark one of the most significant multilateral meetings on climate since the Paris agreement.
Dumas said that as COP26 approaches, governments need to understand their key priorities, and among them should be infrastructure investments as numerous technological and engineering challenges continue to obstruct renewable energy.
“I think the intermittency problem is pretty serious and it’s not just that the sun goes down at night,” Dumas said.
In the case of solar power, output can be mixed depending on the location of infrastructure like solar farms.
“There’s huge variation with sunny days in winter and sunny days in the middle of summer so the intermittency takes on a very big seasonal aspect,” Dumas said.
“You can have vicious weather for a long time in the middle of December or January and lo and behold you wouldn’t want to be depending on solar power.”
Energy transmission could be another bottleneck, he said. While the developing world, including several African nations, has great potential in developing sites for generating solar power, that power needs to move easily.
“The issue of transmission technology is really major. If you want Chad to be the new Saudi Arabia, because of the Sahara Desert there’s a lot of sun there, but you want the electricity to be used in Europe then you’re talking about some expensive processes and processes needing a lot of research and a lot of further investment.”
Storage and carbon capture are all areas that require hefty investment, Dumas added, if governments are to reach their net-zero targets.
“What we need is a very clear public policy lead in order to get anywhere near these net zero promises and I suspect that actually what it’s going to be about is a carbon tax, which the Americans may resist but will be necessary,” he said.
Job creation
Paul Steele, chief economist at an independent policy research institute called the International Institute for Environment and Development, said that climate action and renewable energy investments will serve the dual purpose of tackling the climate crisis while creating jobs for the post-Covid economy.
“One of the priorities coming out of Covid is to create labor intensive employment. Both in developed and developing countries, you can provide labor intensive employment through renewable energy,” Steele said.
One example, he said, was the retrofitting of boilers in homes in the U.K., which would help push the country toward its climate targets and create new jobs while being relatively inexpensive in the grand scheme of things.
Steele said that investments to drive a climate-friendly economy cannot be short term or have quick goals.
He pointed to the various government support schemes for the airline industry, which has been battered by the pandemic. Just this week, the European courts gave the nod to a $2.9 billion bailout for Air France-KLM’s Dutch business.
Bailout funds like these should be tied to sustainability commitments by the airline industry, he said, but that can be a dicey proposition to get over the line.
“Governments aren’t making the connections enough and traditionally treasuries and particularly the ministries of transport are still dominated by road building lobbies and people who like to build highways and increase transport rather than people who want to invest in sustainable alternatives.”
Nissan announced the new LEAF will start at just £32,249 in the UK after it became eligible for the maximum discount under the government’s Electric Car Grant.
The new Nissan LEAF gets a price cut with UK EV grant
After the UK government expanded the Electric Car Grant program on Friday, drivers will be able to save £3,750 ($4,900) on the new Nissan LEAF.
Nissan announced that the new 2026 LEAF will start at £32,249 ($42,200), including the grant. The government said in a press release that the discount will help boost Nissan’s sales, while also supporting jobs and UK manufacturing.
The new LEAF is on sale, and Nissan plans to begin production at its Sunderland plant in December. The first customer deliveries are scheduled for February.
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Nissan’s new LEAF will be available in four trims: Engage, Engage +, Advance, and Evolve. Initially, all versions will be equipped with a 75 kWh battery, providing a range of up to 386 miles (WLTP). Nissan said a cheaper 52 kWh battery pack will be available, delivering a range of up to 271 miles, which could bring prices under £30,000 ($39,300).
The new Nissan LEAF (Source: Nissan)
With 150 kW DC fast charging, the new LEAF can add 273 miles in about 30 minutes. It’s also the first vehicle to feature Nissan’s new 3-in-1 electric powertrain, boasting 160 kW (215 HP) and 355 Nm of torque.
The interior is revamped with new dual 12.3″ driver display and navigation screens with Google built in. Upgrading to the Engage+ or higher trim gets a bigger 14.3″ multimedia screen.
The interior of the new Nissan LEAF (Source: Nissan)
Including the new grant, the LEAF Engage+ trim is priced from £33,149, the Advance starts at £34,249, and the Evolve trim from £36,249.
For those in the US, the 2026 Nissan LEAF has the “lowest starting MSRP for any new EV currently on sale,” starting at just $29,990. It’s available in three trims: S+, SV+, and Platinum+, offering up to 303 miles of range. That’s a 25% improvement from the outgoing model.
Looking for a smarter, cooler, and genuinely more comfortable way to commute this winter? The NAVEE ST3 Pro Damping Arm™ Suspension City E-scooter has officially entered the chat — and for Black Friday, it’s dropping to an unmissable low price. If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to commit to electric travel, this is it.
From November 17 to December 2 (PDT), the NAVEE ST3 Pro Damping Arm™ Suspension City E-scooter is 20% off, reducing the price from USD$949.99 to $759.99. Canadian pricing drops from CAD $1,299.99 to $971.09. (On Amazon, the discount window is November 20 to December 1 (PDT).)
And if that wasn’t already awesome, NAVEE has tacked on an extra 5% off for Electrek readers when you use one of these codes:
Official Website: Use code ST3PRO5 — valid in the US & Canada through February 28, 2026
Amazon: Use code NAVEEST3PRO — valid in the US & Canada through February 28, 2026
Why the NAVEE ST3 Pro is a standout
The NAVEE ST3 Pro pushes the boundaries of what an electric scooter can be. It’s built for real-world riders who want power, range, comfort, and safety with their convenience.
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Auto‑grade ride comfort
The automotive‑grade Damping Arm™ suspension system uses four swinging polymer arms on both front and rear wheels, absorbing impact in ways traditional scooters simply can’t. Whether you’re rolling over brick roads, patched‑up potholes, or gravel, the ST3 Pro smooths out the chaos.
Power that actually counts
The 48-volt platform delivers up to 1350W of peak power, allowing you to power through 28% inclines without any power loss. Switch into Sport Mode when you want max speed of up to 25 mph, confidence, and faster reaction ability.
Safety is priority
With the triple braking system, NAVEE didn’t hold back:
Disc brake
Drum brake
Automotive‑grade eABS + traction control
This blend gives you enhanced stopping precision and a shorter braking distance, even during high‑speed or downhill commutes.
Long ranges that end anxiety
The ST3 Pro features a 596.7Wh battery system offering up to 46.6 miles of TÜV‑certified range at maximum speed. That’s nearly two days of commuting for many riders. For comparison, the ST3 model, with its 477.36Wh battery, achieves a range of up to 37.5 miles.
Regenerative braking adds even more efficiency, reclaiming up to 12% of total range.
Style + smart features
Want a scooter that looks as good as it rides? The ST3 Pro goes full futuristic with ambient lighting built right into the footboard – and not just a basic glow, but 15 fully selectable lighting modes to match your mood. Control it all with a tap in the NAVEE app.
Both the ST3 and ST3 Pro also come fully kitted with commuter‑ready lighting and connectivity:
Bright headlight for late‑night rides
Clean, visible taillight + turn indicators for safer signaling
Full companion app support for smart control, monitoring, and customization
Final thoughts
The NAVEEST3 Pro isn’t just another Black Friday discount — it’s a chance to level up your urban commute with comfort, precision, and premium technology that feels years ahead.
The 20% off sale runs from November 17 to December 2 (PDT) (on Amazon, it runs November 20 to December 1 (PDT)) — don’t miss out. And don’t forget to use the extra 5% off codes for Electrek readers of ST3PRO5 on the official website and NAVEEST3PRO on Amazon.
You can buy the NAVEE ST3 Pro Damping Arm™ Suspension City E-scooter at the following links:
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Yamaha is doubling down on urban electrification in Japan with the launch of its new Jog E electric scooter – and in a twist that we’ve been waiting years to see, it runs on Honda’s Mobile Power Pack e: swappable batteries.
Yamaha shared on its social media that the Jog E is set to begin a region-limited pre-sale on December 22, 2025, exclusively through Yamaha EV shops in Tokyo and Osaka. This rollout makes it the first Yamaha two-wheeler built around the Mobile Power Pack e system, which is becoming Japan’s de facto standard thanks to the joint battery-swap venture Gachaco.
It’s the result of an initiative that began way back in 2019, when many of the world’s leading motorcycle manufacturers built a consortium to develop a single swappable battery standard. At the time, it was seen largely as a way to compete against Gogoro, which had already developed a single swappable battery standard. Ultimately, instead of developing a battery standard, the consortium simply chose to elect Honda’s relatively little-used battery design as its standard. Now we’re finally seeing that battery employed in another major motorcycle maker’s vehicles.
A Yamaha built for battery swapping
Unlike typical electric scooters sold with a fixed battery, the Jog E is offered as a body-only purchase. Riders must separately subscribe to Gachaco’s paid battery-sharing service, which gives access to swap stations located throughout major cities.
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As of now, Gachaco operates 42 battery swapping stations in Tokyo, 7 stations in Osaka, and 2 stations in Saitama. It’s a far cry from the thousands of stations operated by Taiwanese competitors like Gogoro and Kymco, but it’s a start.
It also means Yamaha is restricting initial sales to Tokyo and Osaka EV stores, ensuring that buyers actually have infrastructure available. Yamaha says standalone batteries and chargers will arrive in the second half of 2026 for riders who prefer to own rather than swap.
Built for stop-and-go city life
Yamaha says the Jog E is tuned specifically for dense urban commuting, with smooth acceleration for constant stop-and-go traffic, plus familiar Yamaha scooter ergonomics and universal EV-forward design touches. We don’t get performance specs yet, but the urban focus means we’re likely looking at limited power and speed figures.
Riders will get two color options at launch: dark gray and light gray. Not exactly going nuts with the color wheel, there.
Pricing lands at 159,500 yen (about US$1,050), though that excludes battery service fees, registration, insurance, and other common costs.
Part of Yamaha’s bigger climate strategy
Yamaha says the Jog E plays a key role in the company’s path toward carbon neutrality by 2050. Specifically, it helps reduce emissions under “Scope 3, Category 11” – basically emissions generated from customers using Yamaha products.
The scooter also symbolizes a closer collaboration among Japan’s Big Four motorcycle makers, all of whom co-founded Gachaco along with energy giant ENEOS. Battery swapping is shaping up to be Japan’s most aggressive approach to mainstreaming electric two-wheelers, and the Jog E is a big step in that direction.
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