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Life-cycle assessments are ways to gauge the impact of any product or process. What is the cost of a system over a defined period of time? Life-cycle assessments are really important as we consider the transition to renewable energy sources, especially as we share insights into a zero emissions future with newbies or cynics.

Life-cycle assessments provide an exhaustive overview of the upstream (material sourcing and delivery) and downstream (product distribution, use, and disposal) impacts associated with any given system. Originally designed to focus on environmental impacts by scientists, they now have been extended to examine social and economic impacts, sometimes called life-cycle costing, by policymakers and decision-makers. The most comprehensive evaluations begin with the extraction of raw material; move to the various steps of production, implementation, and operation; and extend all the way to the energy use of carriers to perform work.

Life-cycle analysis considers both upfront cost of production and incremental costs of operation and depreciation. As a data-intensive methodology, it incorporates all inputs and outputs, requires detailed information, and is organized into databases known as life-cycle inventories.

What Do the Scientists Say about Energy Resources & their Life-Cycle Assessments?

life-cycle assessmentsExecutive summaries from a variety of scientific white papers can offer us life cycle insights into different energy sources. Here are a few to peruse.

Active Transportation: Life-cycle analysis provides a comprehensive view of the environmental impact of transportation infrastructure due to processes involving construction, operation, and maintenance.

  • Airplanes show the highest GHG emissions — 3 times that of cars and 6 times that of buses.
  • Cars or buses show higher GHG emissions when considering life-cycle impacts than the results without the life-cycle impacts because the GHG impact of manufacturing and operating automobiles and buses could be greater than that of other modes.
  • Walking does not require any tools, so its life-cycle impact is minimal compared to other modes.
  • The GHG impact of producing and maintaining bicycles is much smaller than that of automobiles or public transportation vehicles.
  • On balance, active transportation modes produce far less emissions than other modes even after taking into account all the life-cycle impacts.

Biomass: Co-firing biomass as a means of GHG abatement becomes economically competitive with traditional carbon capture and sequestration only after an incentive is in place to mitigate emissions.

  • The point at which co-firing becomes an attractive option depends on the potential value of CO2, the level of an emissions penalty, and the type of plant.
  • The break-even value would either represent the amount required on the sale of the captured CO2 in the capture cases, or a benefit received for the use of biomass as a fuel source in the non-capture cases, when compared to the economics of a supercritical (SC) PC plant without capture or co-firing.
  • This value would need to be reached before incentivizing either CO2 capture or biomass co-firing. The emissions penalty would be the minimum value required to encourage the use of capture technology or abatement using biomass.

Hydropower: The assessment considers various ecological influence groups which could be generally categorized as — global warming, ozone formation, acidification, eutrophication, ecotoxicity, human toxicity, water consumption, stratospheric ozone depletion, ionizing radiation, and land use.

  • Though water itself is not lethal, the electricity production process involves many stages, which creates environmental issues.
  • Furthermore, the transportation medium of these elements to the plant location releases hazardous particles i.e., carbon monoxide, dust, and carcinogenic particles.
  • Among the key impact groups, the whole outcomes show that a substantial ecological influence occurred at non-alpine region plants over alpine region plants. The reason behind this is that the long distance transportation of raw materials in non-alpine region hydropower plants due to unavailability at nearby locations where raw materials of the alpine based plants is available at nearby locations.
  • The maximum impact is occurred at fine particulate matter formation impact category due to freshwater eutrophication category by both types of hydropower plants. The reason behind these impacts is the amount of toxic materials present as constituent of plant structure and its electricity production steps.

Natural Gas: This analysis takes into account a wide range of performance variability across different assumptions of climate impact timing.

  • Natural gas-fired baseload power production has life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 35% to 66 % lower than those for coal-fired baseload electricity.
  • The lower emissions for natural gas are primarily due to the differences in average power plant efficiencies (46% efficiency for the natural gas power fleet versus 33% for the coal power fleet) and a higher carbon content per unit of energy for coal in comparison to natural gas.
  • Natural gas-fired electricity has 57% lower GHG emissions than coal per delivered megawatt-hour (MWh) using current technology when compared with a 100-year global warming potential (GWP) using unconventional natural gas from tight gas, shale, and coal beds.

Petroleum: Petroleum is produced from crude oil, a complex mixture of hydrocarbons, various organic compounds, and associated impurities.

  • The crude product exists as deposits in the earth’s crust, and the composition varies by geographic location and deposit formation contributors. Its physical consistency varies from a free flowing liquid to nearly solid. Crude oil is extracted from geological deposits by a number of different techniques.
  • When comparing transportation GHG emissions, both the tailpipe or tank-to-wheel (TTW) emissions, and the upstream or well-to-tank (WTT) emissions are considered in the full well to wheel (WTW) life cycle.
  • Extracting, transporting, and refining crude oil and bio-based alternatives on average account for approximately 20-30% of well-to-wheels (WTW) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions with the majority of emissions generated during end use combustion in the vehicle phase (TTW).
  • GHG emissions in the generic cases range from ≈105 to 120 g of CO2/MJ [gasoline basis, full fuel cycle, lower heating value (LHV) basis] when co-produced electricity displaces natural-gas-fired combined-cycle electricity.
  • The carbon intensity varies with the energy demand of TEOR, the fuel combusted for steam generation, the amount of electric power co-generated, and the electricity mix. The emission range for co-generation-based TEOR systems is larger (≈70−120 g of CO2/MJ) when coal is displaced from the electricity grid (low) or coal is used for steam generation (high). The emission range for the California-specific cases is similar to that for the generic cases.

Solar: Life-cycle assessment is now a standardized tool to evaluate the environmental impact of photovoltaic technologies from the cradle to the grave.

  • The carbon footprint emission from PV systems was found to be in the range of 14–73 g CO2-eq/kWh, which is 10 to 53 orders of magnitude lower than emission reported from the burning of oil (742 g CO2-eq/kWh from oil).
  • Negative environmental impacts of PV systems could be substantially mitigated using optimized design, development of novel materials, minimize the use of hazardous materials, recycling whenever possible, and careful site selection. Such mitigation actions will reduce the emissions of GHG to the environment, decrease the accumulation of solid wastes, and preserve valuable water resources.
  • Following a report published by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the volume of PV panel waste could globally yield a value of up to 60–78 million tons by 2050. Recycling solar cell materials can also contribute up to a 42% reduction in GHG emissions.

Wind: Wind power presents minimal emissions and environmental impacts during the working phase, being considered as a “cleaner” generation source. But not all stages of wind power are so efficient.

  • The extraction of raw materials, manufacturing, and transportation as part of wind power construction have significant emissions of CO2 and environmental impacts.
  • Not only will improvements in logistics, transportation, a mixed electricity supplement, and a more efficient equipment production reduce CO2 emissions from wind power construction, new basic materials and innovative built techniques may decrease CO2 emissions and energy demand.
  • Decommissioning stage may present a reduction of the energy consumption and CO2 emissions through reusing equipment, recycling critical materials in the end of life cycle, reducing the extraction of raw materials and the total consumption of resources.
  • Such changes may create unexpected fluctuations in the market, such as shortages of supplies and dependence on exporters.

Of course, there are many other types of energy sources and other data analyses to consult to consider life cycle assessments. For more ideas, try Life Cycle Analysis of Energy for a good starting point.

Infographic retrieved from Department of Energy

Image retrieved from NASA

 

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25% of new cars sold globally in 2025 were EVs – here’s who bought them

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December 18, 2025

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25% of new cars sold globally in 2025 were EVs – here's who bought them

EVs sold 2025

BYD store in Thailand (Source: BYD)

More than 25% of new cars sold globally in 2025 are now electric, according to new analysis from energy think tank Ember. This growth is increasingly driven by emerging markets that, only a few years ago, had minimal adoption of EVs. 

Where the EVs sold in 2025

The analysis reveals that the EV race has truly gone global. There are now 39 countries where EVs make up more than 10% of new car sales, compared with just four in 2019.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) became a significant force in global EV adoption in 2025. Singapore and Vietnam have reached EV sales shares of around 40%, overtaking levels seen in the UK and the EU. 

Indonesia has reached 15% this year, surpassing the US for the first time. Thailand has reached 20% and has sold more EVs in the first three quarters of 2025 than Denmark. These shifts demonstrate how rapidly the region is transitioning from a low base to a position of leadership. 

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Euan Graham, electricity and data analyst at Ember, said: “This is a major turning point. In 2025, the center of gravity has moved. Emerging markets are no longer catching up; they are leading the shift to electric mobility. These countries see the strategic advantages of EVs, from cleaner air to reduced fossil fuel imports.” 

Other regions are also gaining momentum. In Latin America, Uruguay has reached a 27% EV share, roughly in line with the EU. Mexico and Brazil continue to show steady growth, now surpassing Japan, where the EV share has remained around 3% since 2022. Türkiye has reached 17%, overtaking Belgium to become Europe’s fourth-largest BEV market by volume.

Emerging markets are buying Chinese EVs

Since mid-2023, almost all the growth in Chinese EV exports has come from non-OECD markets. Brazil, Mexico, the UAE, and Indonesia are among the top 10 destinations for Chinese EV exports this year, as their governments have introduced policies to support EV adoption, including reduced taxes and incentives for domestic manufacturing. 

As more countries take up EVs, the impact on fossil fuel demand is already tangible. EVs are three times more efficient than ICE vehicles, which means they deliver significant reductions in oil use even in countries that still rely heavily on fossil fuels for power generation. In Brazil, where electricity is mostly clean, BEVs cut fossil fuel demand by around 90%. In Indonesia, the number was reduced by nearly half.

Graham said, “Emerging markets will shape the future of the global car market. The choices made now on charging infrastructure and early support will determine how fast this momentum continues.” 

Read more: LAZ Parking plans EV chargers in 50,000 everyday parking spots

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Coinbase adds prediction markets and stock trading in push to be one-stop trading app

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December 17, 2025

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Coinbase adds prediction markets and stock trading in push to be one-stop trading app

Brian Armstrong, chief executive officer of Coinbase Global Inc., speaks during the Messari Mainnet summit in New York, on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023.

Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Coinbase is making its biggest push yet to reposition itself as a mainstream trading and financial platform, moving beyond crypto and into the broader retail investing stack as competitors show there’s real money in always-on engagement products.

The digital asset exchange announced Wednesday that it’s rolling out a major slate of new products designed to turn Coinbase into a one-stop financial app, expanding into stocks, more advanced trading, and prediction markets, while doubling down on its on-chain ecosystem and new tools for businesses, developers, and automated financial guidance.

While many of these offerings have been telegraphed for months, Coinbase says the products are now built, and ready to go.

CEO Brian Armstrong is looking to make his platform the place to trade everything.

That includes stocks, a streamlined futures and perpetuals experience, and prediction markets through Kalshi, alongside a tokenization roadmap aimed at eventually bringing more traditional assets on-chain, including equities.

The area of prediction markets, in particular, is quickly getting crowded.

DraftKings has moved to buy its own exchange, FanDuel is teaming up with CME, and Polymarket is entering the U.S. through a newly approved venue. Robinhood, meanwhile, is putting LedgerX at the center of its regulated push.

The defining rivalry in the space remains Kalshi versus Polymarket, regulated rails versus crypto-native liquidity.

Armstrong said the category’s appeal isn’t just trading, but its insight into sentiment, and what people think will happen next on any given topic.

“If you look at things like economic indicators … or elections, people are using prediction markets to try to figure out what is going to happen next month,” Armstrong told CNBC. “Maybe1% of people use it as an asset class to trade, and 99% of people are using it as a way to figure out what’s going to happen — almost like a competitor to traditional media or maybe even entertainment.”

In the company’s third-quarter earnings call with analysts in October, Armstrong showed just how easily prediction market wagers can be manipulated, rattling off several words that were being bet on.

“I was a little distracted because I was tracking the prediction market about what Coinbase will say on their next earnings call,” Armstrong said. “And I just want to add here the words bitcoin, ethereum, blockchain, staking and Web3 to make sure we get those in before the end of the call.”

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Robinhood underscored that shift this week by expanding prediction markets into sports-style contracts that resemble parlays and prop bets, and by touting the category as its fastest-growing business by revenue.

Coinbase is now bringing the same kind of outcome trading into its own ecosystem, but as a part of a much wider bet that the next-generation brokerage is a single app that blends traditional assets, derivatives, and on-chain rails.

Coinbase is pairing the trading expansion with a tokenization roadmap that signals where it wants the platform to go next, bringing more traditional assets on-chain, including equities.

The company is launching Coinbase Tokenize, an institutional stack intended to support real-world asset tokenization.

Armstrong framed the expansion as a bridge to something bigger.

Trading stocks, he said, is “a good first step,” but the real goal is tokenized equities. If Coinbase can get tokenized equity live, he said, it could “democratize access for people over the world,” and unlock new market structure in the U.S., including more robust, professional futures markets tied to equities.

“So this is the starting point,” he said.

The announcement also extends Coinbase’s push to become a provider of on-chain liquidity — not just a venue for listed tokens.

For businesses and developers, Coinbase is widening its platform story beyond retail trading. The company said Coinbase Business is becoming available to eligible customers in the U.S. and Singapore, and it’s rolling out an expanded API suite spanning custody, payments, trading, and stablecoins.

Armstrong’s broader thesis is that crypto isn’t a niche category, it’s an upgrade cycle for the financial system itself.

“Crypto is updating all financial services,” he said, suggesting that every major asset class will move on-chain over time, from prediction markets and equities to commodities, and eventually real-world assets like real estate.

Even the largest asset managers, he said, are signaling they want to migrate funds on-chain, positioning Coinbase as a central platform for that transition.

Coinbase is also introducing “custom stablecoins” for companies that want branded stablecoin rails, and spotlighting x402, a payments standard the company says is meant to make stablecoin payments easier to attach to web requests — including for automated commerce and agent-driven transactions.

The strategic throughline is retention and diversification.

Coinbase already owns a large crypto-native audience, and it wants that customer to stay on its platform for every asset class, even when crypto volumes cool and transaction revenue compresses.

WATCH: What to know about Robinhood’s new prediction market features

What to know about Robinhood's new prediction market features

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First savings hits Navee XT5 Pro long-range off-road e-scooter for $1,400, Anker SOLIX 60,000mAh power station $108, Lectric, more

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11 hours ago

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December 17, 2025

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First savings hits Navee XT5 Pro long-range off-road e-scooter for ,400, Anker SOLIX 60,000mAh power station 8, Lectric, more


Our mid-week Green Deals is headlined by a surprise first-ever holiday deal on the brand-new Navee XT5 Pro Long-Range Off-Road Electric Scooter at $1,400, which boasts some serious premium upgrades. Right behind it, we have Anker’s SOLIX C200 DC Compact Power Station, and its larger C300 counterparts, that start from $108, as well as a roundup of Lectric’s three e-bikes getting up to $500 price cuts and $220 bundles that start from $1,399, Bluetti’s current 48-hour Christmas flash sale through December 18, and much more waiting for you below. And don’t forget about the hangover deals that are collected together at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s Velotric Christmas e-bike Gift Season Sale, the new $999 low on Heybike’s dual-battery Hauler cargo e-bike, and more.

Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

First savings just hit Navee’s newest feature-packed XT5 Pro long-range off-road electric scooter for $1,400

Navee’s official Amazon storefront is undercutting the brand’s direct Christmas Sale pricing on its brand-new XT5 Pro Long-Range Off-Road Electric Scooter for $1,399.99 shipped, after clipping the on-page $200 off coupon. This model just hit the market early last month with a $1,500 price tag, which is where it’s still priced direct from the brand. At Amazon, however, it started off priced at $1,700 and dropped to $1,600 right before Black Friday, with today’s deal being the first official chance at cash savings that we’ve spotted. While this deal lasts, you’re getting $100 off the going rate that sets the bar for future discounts, while also upgrading your commutes/joyrides with the brand’s take on a superscooter.

The most high-end of Navee’s e-scooter lineup that even outpaces the flagship ST3 Pro, this new XT5 Pro Long-Range Electric Scooter is an off-roading superscooter that comes with bolstered durability from its carbon steel frame, while also being the second series to boast the brand’s unique damping arm suspension system. It arrives equipped with a 750W motor that can peak as high as 2,200W for seriously monstrous power, with the entire thing powered by a 596.7Wh battery. This combination gives it a travel range of up to 46.6 miles on a single six-hour charge (with a 1.5-hour flash charging feature available), maxing out at 31 MPH top speeds for the thrill seekers amongst you. It even comes with an add-on option through a 468Wh external battery (sold separately) that increases the mileage with up to 34 miles of extra travel.

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As Navee’s XT5 Pro electric scooter is a more premium commuter, it should be no surprise that it comes loaded with a premium array of features, including smart features like Apple Find My, Bluetooth proximity locking/unlocking, app-based setting customization, and more. Your riding experience is also further heightened by the stock features that include a triple braking system (dual front and rear disc brakes, as well as a rear regenerative EABS brake), 12-inch off-road tubeless tires, an auto-on headlight, mecha-style logo lamps in the stem, a brake-activated taillight, front and rear built-in turn signals, the brand’s traction control system, a 5-inch full color display, and much more.

As I mentioned, alongside this surprise Navee XT5 electric scooter deal, the brand also has its ongoing Christmas Sale with up to 30% discounts still going right now, which offers its e-scooters at some of the best rates starting from $200.

Anker SOLIX C200 DC power station on rock with drone, projector, and speaker

Get 60,000mAh/192Wh support for devices from Anker’s SOLIX C200 DC power station at $108 for Xmas, more from $162

As part of its ongoing Christmas Sale, Anker SOLIX is offering its C200 DC 60,000mAh/192Wh Compact Power Station at $108.49 shipped, which matches in price at Amazon while also beating out the current price of the predecessor PowerCore Reserve by $7. While it carries a $200 MSRP, you can find it starting lower at $170 at Amazon, with discounts over the year having taken the costs as low as $100, most recently during Black Friday through Cyber Monday over two weeks ago. You’re looking at the third-best price we have tracked while the $62 savings last ($92 off the MSRP), only beaten out by that $100 low and $105 rates that sporadically pop up. If you want to go bigger, you can also find the C300 DC and C300 AC 90,000mAh models starting from $162.

If you want to learn more about these compact power stations, be sure to check out our original coverage of these Christmas deals here. You can also go even larger by taking advantage of Anker’s current SOLIX Christmas Sale deals, with up to 65% discounts across its entire power station lineup that starts from $162.

man standing with Lectric ONE e-bike

Save up to $720 on these three Lectric e-bikes with price cuts to lows starting from $1,399 for Xmas

Looking back in on Lectric’s ongoing Christmas Holiday Sale event, we wanted to shine a spotlight on the three e-bikes receiving rare price cuts over the usual free bundle packages – a first for so many models at once. The biggest of these price cuts that also retains a bundle is Lectric’s ONE e-bike Long-Range Belt-Drive Commuter e-bike with a $220 FREE bundle of gear at $1,899 shipped. This entire package would normally run you $2,619 at full price, with a repeat of the $500 price cut we’ve been seeing more frequently since Labor Day to its all-time lowest tracked price, along with a FREE rear cargo rack and fender set. While the deadline to receive it before Christmas has passed, you can still secure it and all the other e-bikes with some of their best deals to kick-off your new year with a new commuting option.

If you want to learn more about this premium e-bike, or the other models getting Christmas price cuts, be sure to check out our original coverage of these deals here, while you can also browse the brand’s full Christmas lineup here.

woman using Bluetti Elite 10 mini power station to charge laptop on plane

For 48 hours, you can pick up Bluetti’s latest Elite 10 Mini power station at a new $109 Xmas flash sale low (Save $90), more

As part of its ongoing Christmas Sale, Bluetti has a 48-hour flash sale running that is taking up to $199 off three different offers, with a notable standout in the Elite 10 Mini Power Station for $109 shipped, which sadly cannot be stacked with the exclusive 5% off savings code, but does beat out its Amazon pricing by $10. While carrying a $239 MSRP direct from the brand, you can find it starting lower at Amazon for $199, with the holiday discounts that started last week having only taken the costs down to $149, before falling to $119 and then $109 during this flash sale window. While these $90 savings ($130 off the MSRP) last through December 18, you’re able to score it at a new all-time low price, with another flash offer being two of these stations for $199 shipped.

If you want to learn more about this mini power station, or browse the full lineup of temporary deals, be sure to check out our original coverage of this flash sale here.

RENPHO foot massager next to Christmas tree and presents
REDTIGER F7NP dash cam
Anker eufy solar smart security camera mounted on outdoor wall in rain
Lectric e-bike Christmas banner

Best Winter EV deals!

Best new Green Deals landing this week

The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.


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