Chris Martin of Coldplay performs at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire on October 12, 2021 in London, England.
Simone Joyner | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images
British rock band Coldplay has announced dates for a world tour in 2022, with the band planning to integrate a range of sustainable features into its concerts to reduce their effect on the environment.
In a statement on its website, the group pledged to make the stadium tour “as sustainable and low-carbon as possible.”
Among other things, it wants to cut consumption, lower its direct CO2 emissions by 50% compared to its previous tour and “recycle extensively.”
While it may appear to be ambitious, the group accepts the tour will “have a significant carbon footprint.” To this end, Coldplay has committed to “draw down more CO2 than the tour produces.”
This will be achieved through the backing of projects focused on areas like renewable energy, conservation and soil regeneration, to name three. Millions of trees will also be planted, including one for every ticket the band sells.
When it comes to powering the gigs themselves, a number of ideas and technologies will be incorporated.
These include: the installation of solar tiles at the arenas; the use of hydrotreated vegetable oil in the group’s buses and trucks when possible; and the installation of a kinetic floor in and around stadiums.
The latter is being rolled out “so that the fans’ movements can be converted into energy and help to power the show.”
In addition, Coldplay said it had partnered with the German automaker BMW to develop what it described as “the first ever mobile, rechargeable show battery.”
While the band is keen to show it is making efforts to tour in a sustainable way, some significant challenges to achieving this goal remain, such as having to fly many thousands of miles around the world in order to play shows.
In an interview with the BBC it was put to Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin that, when rock stars spoke about the environment, there were “always cries of hypocrisy, especially when private jets are being used.” The singer was asked if he was ready for an “inevitable backlash.”
“I don’t mind any backlash at all,” Martin replied. “We’re trying our best and we haven’t got it perfect, absolutely. We always have backlash for everything.”
“And the people that give us backlash for that kind of thing, for flying … they’re right. So we don’t have any argument against that.”
The environmental footprint of aviation is significant. According to the International Energy Agency, carbon dioxide emissions from aviation “have risen rapidly over the past two decades,” hitting almost 1 metric gigaton in 2019. This, it notes, equates to “about 2.8% of global CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion.”
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Elsewhere, the World Wildlife Fund describes aviation as “one of the fastest-growing sources of the greenhouse gas emissions driving global climate change.” It adds that air travel is “currently the most carbon intensive activity an individual can make.”
In an effort to reduce the environmental effects of its flights, Coldplay claims that when it comes to “all flights, commercial and charter”, it will pay a surcharge so it can “use or supply” sustainable aviation fuel.
In his interview with the BBC, Martin acknowledged that even this wasn’t a panacea. There was still a lot of offsetting required when it came to flying, he said, “because even sustainable aviation fuel isn’t good enough yet.”
This week on Electrek’s Wheel-E podcast, we discuss the most popular news stories from the world of electric bikes and other nontraditional electric vehicles. This time, that includes a new ONYX RCR 80V electric moped, new lightweight e-bike motors, Aventon’s powerful update, California cops catching illegal e-bike riders with drones, a super lightweight new e-bike from Dahon, and more.
Today’s episode is sponsored by CYCROWN, an e-Bike company born from a passion for cycling. Its lineup now includes the new CYCROWN Dremax – a high-performance urban commuter e-bike now on sale in the US and Canada. Use Electrek50 to save $50 off your new eBike when you order.
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While much of the Western world is still figuring out how to get more people on electric bikes, China just flipped a switch, and the results are staggering. Thanks to a generous nationwide trade-in program rolled out around six months ago, China has seen an explosive surge in electric bicycle sales, with over 8.47 million new e-bikes hitting the road in the first half of 2025 alone.
The program, which offers subsidies to riders who trade in their old, often outdated electric bikes for newer, safer, and more efficient models, has sparked a new e-bike sale boom in a country already dominated by e-bike travel. In major provinces like Jiangsu, Hebei, and Zhejiang, over one million new e-bikes were sold in each region in just six months. That’s a tidal wave of e-bike sales.
The incentives vary depending on location and the model being traded in, but for many consumers, the subsidies cover a substantial portion of a new e-bike’s price – enough to turn a “maybe next year” purchase into a “right now” upgrade. And these aren’t just budget bikes either. The program has driven demand for higher-quality models with better batteries, safer braking systems, and more reliable electronics, accelerating both adoption and innovation across the industry.
The move has proven successful in replacing the millions of older models with lower-quality lithium-ion batteries that had posed safety risks around the country. Instead, China has pushed for higher-quality lithium-ion batteries, a return to a newer generation of higher-performance AGM batteries, and even interesting new sodium-ion battery options.
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Most e-bikes in China look more like what we’d consider seated scooters
According to China’s Ministry of Commerce, more than 8.4 million consumers have participated in the e-bike trade-in program so far, contributing to a sales increase of 643.5% year-over-year and more than doubling sales month-over-month. Meanwhile, production of new electric bicycles rose by nearly 28%, as manufacturers scrambled to meet demand. The sales boosts have already been seen in the financial reports of major industry players like NIU.
And it’s not just the big players benefiting – over 82,000 small independent e-bike dealers reported average sales increases of ¥302,000 (around US $42,000), giving a serious boost to local economies.
What’s particularly striking here is how fast this happened. The program was officially launched late last year as part of a broader effort to stimulate domestic consumption and phase out outdated vehicles and appliances. But while most analysts expected gradual growth, the e-bike sector responded much more quickly. In less than a year, the trade-in subsidies have reshaped the electric bicycle market, creating a consumer-driven boom that shows no signs of slowing.
For those of us watching from outside China, it’s hard not to wonder what might happen if other countries tried something similar. While most families in Chinese cities already own an electric bike and thus see this as an opportunity to trade it in for a newer model, Western countries like the US are still figuring out how to stimulate commuters into buying their first e-bike.
It’s too soon to know exactly how long the boom will last or whether the momentum will carry into 2026 and beyond. We’ve seen bicycle industry bubbles grow and burst before. But one thing’s clear: with the right incentives, even modest ones, it’s possible to ignite real, large-scale change. China just proved it with nearly 8.5 million new e-bikes to show for it.
And if you’re wondering what it looks like when a country takes electric micromobility seriously, this is it.
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Today was the official start of racing at the Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix 2025! There was a tremendous energy (and heat) on the ground at NCM Motorsports Park as nearly a dozen teams took to the track. Currently, as of writing, Stanford is ranked #1 in the SOV (Single-Occupant Vehicle) class with 68 registered laps. However, the fastest lap so far belongs to UC Berkeley, which clocked a 4:45 on the 3.15-mile track. That’s an average speed of just under 40 mph on nothing but solar energy. Not bad!
In the MOV (Multi-Occupant Vehicle) class, Polytechnique Montréal is narrowly ahead of Appalachian State by just 4 laps. At last year’s formula sun race, Polytechnique Montréal took first place overall in this class, and the team hopes to repeat that success. It’s still too early for prediction though, and anything can happen between now and the final day of racing on Saturday.
Congrats to the teams that made it on track today. We look forward to seeing even more out there tomorrow. In the meantime, here are some shots from today via the event’s wonderful photographer Cora Kennedy.
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