The CEO of multinational Italian energy firm Enel has expressed doubt on the usefulness of carbon capture and storage, suggesting the technology is not a climate solution.
“We have tried and tried — and when I say ‘we’, I mean the electricity industry,” Francesco Starace told CNBC’s Karen Tso on Wednesday.
“You can imagine, we tried hard in the past 10 years — maybe more, 15 years — because if we had a reliable and economically interesting solution, why would we go and shut down all these coal plants [when] we could decarbonize the system?”
The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, has described carbon capture and storage as a suite of technologies focused on “capturing, transporting, and storing CO2 emitted from power plants and industrial facilities.”
The idea is to stop CO2 “reaching the atmosphere, by storing it in suitable underground geological formations.”
The Commission has said the utilization of carbon capture and storage is “important” when it comes to helping lower greenhouse gas emissions. This view is based on the contention that a substantial proportion of both industry and power generation will still be reliant on fossil fuels in the years ahead.
Enel’s Starace, however, seemed skeptical about carbon capture’s potential.
“The fact is, it doesn’t work, it hasn’t worked for us so far,” he said. “And there is a rule of thumb here: If a technology doesn’t really pick up in five years — and here we’re talking about more than five, we’re talking about 15, at least — you better drop it.”
There are other climate solutions, Starace said. “Basically, stop emitting carbon,” he said.
“I’m not saying it’s not worth trying again but we’re not going to do it. Maybe other industries can try harder and succeed. For us, it is not a solution.”
Carbon capture technology is often held up as a source of hope in reducing global greenhouse gas emissions, featuring prominently in countries’ climate plans as well as the net-zero strategies of some of the world’s largest oil and gas companies.
Proponents of these technologies believe they can play an important and diverse role in meeting global energy and climate goals.
Climate researchers, campaigners and environmental advocacy groups, however, have long argued that carbon capture and storage technologies prolong the world’s fossil fuel dependency and distract from a much-needed pivot to renewable alternatives.
Plans to increase shareholder dividends
Starace was speaking after Enel published a strategic plan for 2022-24 and laid out its aims for the years ahead. Among other things, Enel will make direct investments of 170 billion euros ($190.7 billion) by 2030.
Direct investments in renewable energy assets that Enel will own are set to hit 70 billion euros. Consolidated installed renewable capacity, or capacity that is directly owned by Enel, is expected to reach 129 gigawatts by 2030.
In addition, Enel, which is headquartered in Rome, said it had brought forward its net-zero commitment — a goal which relates to both direct and indirect emissions — to 2040, having previously been 2050.
On the fossil fuel front, the group wants to exit coal generation by the year 2027, with its exit from gas generation taking place by 2040.
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Enel also said that, between 2021 and 2024, shareholders were “expected to receive a fixed Dividend Per Share … that is planned to increase by 13%, up to 0.43 euros/share.”
During his interview with CNBC, Starace was asked about Enel’s higher dividend forecast and the wider debate about how one could be invested in so-called “sin stocks” — in this instance, big polluters within the energy space — and still get good returns, particularly on the dividend side of things.
“It’s all about risk rewards,” he said. “And at the end of the day, I don’t see anything wrong with an increasingly risky business [being] … forced to increase dividends if you want to attract investors.”
“What we’re trying to say is there is a breaking point, there is a point in which the risk becomes unbearable no matter what dividends you want to distribute, and that is approaching,” he said.
“So in our case, what you need to do is get out of this risk, get out of the carbon footprint and also make sure that when you put the word ‘net’ in front of zero, this ‘net’ doesn’t become some kind of a trick around which you don’t decarbonize, really, your operations.”
“We’re saying we’re going to be zero carbon, which means we’re not going to emit carbon and we will, therefore [not] … need to plant trees to offset that carbon.”
Starace acknowledged, however, that trees would be required over the next centuries to remove carbon left in the atmosphere due to historic emissions.
The Kia EV4 is now on sale as the most affordable EV in Canada. Starting at under $40,000, the electric sedan is even cheaper than the Fiat 500e.
Kia launches EV4 as Canada’s most affordable EV
While Kia is delaying the EV4 “indefinitely” for the US, the electric sedan is now on sale in Canada. Starting at just $38,995, the EV4 is now the most affordable dedicated EV in Canada.
It’s even cheaper than the Fiat 500e, which previously held the title with prices starting at $39,995. The EV4 is Kia’s first global electric sedan and part of its new low-cost EV lineup.
Not only is it affordable, but the EV4 is also surprisingly efficient. Based on the E-GMP platform that underpins Hyundai’s IONIQ series and Kia’s other EV models, the EV4 is available with two battery options: a standard 58.3 kWh or long-range 81.4 kWh, delivering up to 552 km (343 miles).
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Like Kia’s latest EVs, the EV4 features its new Opposites United design with a redesigned “Digital Tiger Face” up front.
2026 Kia EV4 (Source: Kia)
Although it may look like a typical sedan, Kia says it introduces a “new typology” with a low nose, long-tail silhouette, and fastback style.
The interior includes Kia’s new connected car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC) infotainment, featuring nearly 30″ of screen space. The setup consists of dual 12.3″ driver cluster and navigation screens in a curved panoramic display, plus an additional 5″ climate control. It also offers wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
2026 Kia EV4 GT-Line interior (Source: Kia)
Kia’s electric sedan even includes a built-in NACS port for recharging at Tesla Superchargers. It can charge from 10% to 80% in about 28 minutes with the 58.3 kWh battery. The 81.4 kWh battery takes around 31 minutes.
The EV4 is available in five different trims: Light FWD Standard Range, Wind FWD Long Range, Wind Premium FWD Long Range, GT-Line FWD Long Range, and GT-Line Limited FWD/AWD Long Range.
The 2026 Kia EV4 (Source: Kia)
The Light variant is the only model with the standard 58.3 kWh battery. All other variants are powered by the long-range 81.4 kWh battery. Both battery options power a front-mounted 150 kW (201 hp) motor.
Kia’s electric sedan is the first to feature its latest i-Pedal 3.0, which now includes three levels of regenerative braking, a reverse i-Pedal function, and i-Pedal memory that retains driver settings on restart.
2026 Kia EV4 trim
Driving range
Starting Price
EV4 Light FWD Standard Range
391 km (243 miles)
$38,995
EV4 Wind FWD Long Range
552 km (343 miles)
$42,995
EV4 Premium FWD Long Range
515 km (320 miles)
$45,495
EV4 GT-Line FWD Long Range
488 km (303 miles)
$48,495
EV4 GT-Line Limited FWD Long Range
488 km (303 miles)
$51,995
2026 Kia EV4 prices and range by trim in Canada
The EV4 includes standard ADAS features, including Kia’s available Highway Driving Assist 2 (HDA2), which uses speed limit information from the navigation system on controlled access roads and highways to automatically adjust the vehicle’s speed.
The 2026 Kia EV4 FWD is now available for order at dealerships across Canada. The AWD version is expected to go on sale later in 2026.
While the EV4 is now on sale as the most affordable EV in Canada, US buyers are missing out thanks to new tariffs and other policy changes under the Trump administration.
For those in the US, although the EV4 is sadly not available, Kia is currently offering over $10,000 off every EV in its US lineup. Interested in a test drive? You can use the links below to find Kia’s EVs in your area.
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Tesla has reported yet another crash involving its Robotaxi fleet in Austin to the NHTSA. The new data keeps the program’s accident rate alarmingly high compared to human drivers, even as the company prepares to remove human safety supervisors from the vehicles.
As we have been tracking in our previous coverage of the Robotaxi pilot in Austin, Tesla is required to report crashes involving its automated driving systems (ADS) to the NHTSA under a Standing General Order.
For months, we’ve seen these reports trickle in from Tesla’s small pilot fleet in Texas. In November, we reported that the fleet had reached 7 total crashes as of September.
Now, a new report filed by Tesla reveals an 8th crash occurred in October 2025.
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According to the filing, the incident took place on October [Day Redacted], 2025, in Austin. The valid report (Report ID: 13781-11986) lists the “Highest Injury Severity Alleged” as “No Injured Reported,” but details are scarce because, as is typical for Tesla, the narrative description of the crash has been redacted to hide proprietary information.
We have been highlighting how Tesla often abuses NHTSA’s capability to redact much of the information in the crash reports, especially the ‘Narrative’ section, which explains precisely what happened in the incident.
It’s possible that Tesla’s Robotaxis are not responsible for some of these crashes, but we wouldn’t know because Tesla redacts most information.
In this new filing for the accident that happened in October, Tesla went even further as it even refrains from answering some of the sections. Instead, it says “see the narrative,” which again is redacted.
Here’s the updated list of Tesla Robotaxi crashes:
Report ID
Incident Date
City
State
Crash With
Highest Injury Severity Alleged
13781-11986
OCT-2025
Austin
TX
Other, see Narrative
No Injured Reported
13781-11787
SEP-2025
Austin
TX
Animal
No Injured Reported
13781-11786
SEP-2025
Austin
TX
Non-Motorist: Cyclist
Property Damage. No Injured Reported
13781-11784
SEP-2025
Austin
TX
Passenger Car
Property Damage. No Injured Reported
13781-11687
SEP-2025
Austin
TX
Other Fixed Object
Property Damage. No Injured Reported
13781-11507
JUL-2025
Austin
TX
SUV
Property Damage. No Injured Reported
13781-11459
JUL-2025
Austin
TX
Other Fixed Object
Minor W/O Hospitalization
13781-11375
JUL-2025
Austin
TX
SUV
Property Damage. No Injured Reported
We do know that the crash involved “Other” as the conflict partner, and the vehicle was “Proceeding Straight” at the time.
Tesla Robotaxi Crash Rate
While a few fender benders might not seem like headline news, it becomes significant when you look at the math.
For comparison, the average human driver in the US crashes about once every 500,000 miles.
This means Tesla’s “autonomous” vehicle, which is supposed to be the future of safety, is crashing 10x more often than a human driver.
While Tesla’s Robotaxi fleet reportedly increased in November, with the number of cars spotted going up to 29, there’s no evidence that the Robotaxi mileage increased. In fact, the utilization rate indicates Tesla is running only a few vehicles at a time – meaning that mileage might have actually gone down.
And that is not even the scariest part.
The Supervisor Paradox
The most critical detail that gets lost in the noise is that these crashes are happening with a human safety supervisor in the driver’s seat (for highway trips) or passenger seat, with a finger on a kill switch.
These employees are trained to intervene and take control of the vehicle if the software makes a mistake.
If the car is crashing this frequently with a human babysitter trying to prevent accidents, imagine what the crash rate would be without them.
We have Waymo operating fully driverless commercial services in multiple cities with over 100 million miles of data showing they are safer than humans. They are not without their issues, but they are at least sharing data that is encouraging, including not redacting the NTHSA crash reporting.
Meanwhile, Tesla is struggling to keep a small test fleet in Austin from hitting things, even with professional safety drivers on board.
Removing the safety supervisors when your crash rate is already orders of magnitude worse than the average human seems reckless. It feels like another case of prioritizing the “optics” of autonomy over the actual safety required to deploy it.
If Tesla pulls the supervisors while the data looks like this, it’s no longer a pilot program. It’s a gamble. And it’s not just gambling on its stock price, it’s gambling with everyone’s safety.
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Hiboy’s Christmas Sale offers EV commuting solutions at up to 50% off + bonus savings codes – all starting from $150
Hiboy currently has a Christmas EV Sale in full swing right now, with up to 50% discounts on its various e-scooters and e-bikes – plus, the brand’s Black Friday bonus savings codes are still active. One budget-friendly model that still gives you significant commuting support is the Hiboy MAX Pro Electric Scooter at $566.99 shipped, after using the code DAS6 at checkout, beating out its Amazon pricing by $45. While it carries a $1,000 MSRP, you’ll more often find it cut down between $800 and $730 these days, with sale events having seen the price go as low as $567. With the extra savings code activated, you’re getting a second chance at the best price we have tracked, which only popped up during last month’s Black Friday sale. Head below to see the lineup of top picks from Hiboy’s Christmas Sale – and there is still time to get your orders in and receive them ahead of the big holiday.
While it may not sport the fanciest bells and whistles like some of the latest releases, Hiboy’s MAX Pro electric scooter is a more budget-friendly option that brings along some substantial traveling power for this low price. The 650W motor housed inside comes powered by a 48V battery for up to 46.6 miles of travel range at up to 22 MPH top speeds. There are three riding modes here (eco, drive, sport), alongside customizable cruise controls, and more. Other features include 11-inch pneumatic tires, both e-brakes and disc brakes, an LED headlight, sidelights, and a taillight, dual suspension, a one-click folding design, an integrated digital display, and more. There are even in-app smart controls for locking the scooter when not in use, and others.
Latest EcoFlow Xmas flash sale drops DELTA 3 Ultra Plus 440W solar bundle to new $1,799 low (Save $1,900), more
As part of its ongoing Christmas Holiday Sale, EcoFlow has launched the next of its 48-hour holiday flash sales with up to 60% discounts across four offers, one of which gives you the latest DELTA 3 Ultra Plus Portable Power Station with two 220W solar panels at $1,799 shipped, beating its Amazon pricing by $200. This bundle package has been on the market since late September with a $4,197 MSRP, though you can usually find it starting lower for $3,699 at Amazon. It launched with a discount to $1,899 and has been seeing price cuts in the time since that have dropped the costs back to that rate or higher at $1,999. This 48-hour flash deal, however, cuts things further than ever, giving you a $1,900 markdown off the going rate ($2,398 off the MSRP) and landing it at a new all-time low price.
Pass lawn mowing to ECOVACS’ Goat O1000 RTK robot while at a new $699 low for Xmas (Reg. $1,000)
Amazon is currently offering the ECOVACS Goat O1000 RTK Robot Lawn Mower for $699 shipped. Coming down from its $1,000 full price, we’ve been seeing regular discounts keeping the price down between $900 and $850, with October’s Prime Day event dropping things as low as $750. We did see it drop to $700 during a brief Black Friday/Cyber Monday window, while today’s deal beats that rate by $1, giving you $301 in total savings at the best new price we have tracked – plus, there’s still time to get it well ahead of Christmas!
Off-season savings take EGO’s 56V 15-inch rapid reload string trimmer down to $149 annual low ($50 off)
Amazon is now offering the best rate of the year on the EGO POWER+ 56V 15-inch Rapid Reload String Trimmer with 2.5Ah battery at $149 shipped. It’s coming down from $199 here today, which is where the price has been keeping for most of the time since June, with discounts having dropped prices to $179 and as low as $159 over the year. You’re now looking at 2025’s best price, courtesy of the $50 markdown that comes beaten only by a one-time Prime-exclusive cut to the $144 back in 2024.
Save up to $175 on Goal Zero’s compact Yeti 700 or 500 power stations at best prices in months from $375
By way of its official Amazon storefront, Goal Zero is offering its Yeti 700 Portable Power Station at $524.89 shipped, while the smaller Yeti 500 Portable Power Station is down at $374.89 shipped. Normally, these two stations would fetch $700 and $500 at full price, which is where they’ve mostly been keeping since March. While we have seen the price drop lower in the past, you’re still looking at solid $175 and $125 markdowns to the best prices we have tracked in the last eight months.
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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