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Cooling towers at a nuclear power plant in Slovakia. Nuclear power is likely to be discussed in great detail at the COP28 climate change summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Janos Kummer | Getty Images News | Getty Images

The role that nuclear power should play in creating a more sustainable future has long provoked strong feelings — among advocates and critics alike.

It’s set to be a hot topic at the COP28 summit in Dubai, which begins this week. There are reports that there will be a concerted effort to get behind a big increase in nuclear capacity from now to 2050.

Of particular interest to observers will be a ministerial event called “Atoms4NetZero” on Dec. 5. Co-hosted by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the COP28 presidency, the event will “announce the IAEA Statement on Nuclear Power,” according to the COP28 website.

That, it adds, reflects the “critical role of nuclear in the net zero transition.”

Atoms4NetZero was namechecked by the World Nuclear Association in September when it announced the launch of an initiative called “Net Zero Nuclear,” which aims to triple the planet’s nuclear capacity by the middle of the century.

In a statement issued alongside that announcement, Rafael Mariano Grossi, the IAEA’s director general, stressed the importance of the coming climate summit.

“Building on the efforts made during COP 26 and COP 27, nuclear energy will feature even more prominently at COP28,” he said.

“As more nations understand the role nuclear can play in achieving energy security and decarbonisation targets, global support for nuclear energy is growing,” he added.

The IAEA, for its part, will also have its own “Atoms4Climate” pavilion at COP28, where it says it will “showcase how nuclear technology and science are addressing the twin challenge of climate change mitigation and adaptation.”

A major debate

In a sign of how polarizing the debate around the subject can be, this month, the leader of Germany’s center-right Christian Democratic Union lamented his country’s move away from nuclear power after the closure of its last three plants in April 2023.

“The German government took a decision which was in our view absolutely wrong, a strategic mistake to get out of nuclear,” Friedrich Merz told CNBC’s Annette Weisbach.

Merz — whose party is not in the coalition government led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz — said rather than focusing only on wind and solar, “all energy sources” need to be utilized.

“The energy supply — for this country, for our industry — is decisive for our competitiveness,” he went on to state.

High-profile figures in the German government do not share Merz’s viewpoint.

“The phase-out of nuclear power makes our country safer; ultimately, the risks of nuclear power are uncontrollable,” Steffi Lemke, Germany’s federal minister for the environment and nuclear safety, said in April.

“We now face decades full of challenges before we can safely and responsibly dispose of our nuclear legacy,” she later added.

“But switching off the final three nuclear power plants will usher in a new era in energy production.”

This kind of analysis — that nuclear is not the answer — is shared by environmental organizations like Greenpeace.

“Nuclear power is touted as a solution to our energy problems, but in reality it’s complex and hugely expensive to build,” its website says. “It also creates huge amounts of hazardous waste.”

“Renewable energy is cheaper and can be installed quickly,” it added. “Together with battery storage, it can generate the power we need and slash our emissions.”

While Germany — Europe’s largest economy — has moved away from nuclear, other countries are looking to expand their capacity.

They include the U.K., which says it wants to deliver as many as 24 gigawatts by 2050, and Sweden, which is looking to construct new reactors.

France, a major player in nuclear power, is also planning to increase its number of reactors.

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Energy markets are still affected by the shocks from Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and discussions about nuclear power are not going away anytime soon.

“Amid today’s global energy crisis, reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels has become the top energy security priority,” noted the International Energy Agency, viewed by many as a leading authority on the energy transition.

“No less important is the climate crisis: reaching net zero emissions of greenhouse gases by mid-century requires a rapid and complete decarbonisation of electricity generation and heat production,” it added.

“Nuclear energy, with around 413 gigawatts (GW) of capacity operating in 32 countries, contributes to both goals by avoiding 1.5 gigatonnes (Gt) of global emissions and 180 billion cubic metres (bcm) of global gas demand a year.”

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Hyundai’s updated IONIQ 6 flashes a stylish new design ahead of its big debut [Video]

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November 27, 2024

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Hyundai's updated IONIQ 6 flashes a stylish new design ahead of its big debut [Video]

With its big debut around the corner, Hyundai’s updated IONIQ 6 was just spotted with a sleek new design. The already stylish EV is about to get even better. Here’s a look at the refreshed model.

Hyundai’s updated IONIQ 6 spotted ahead of its debut

Launched in 2022, the IONIQ 6 is Hyundai’s second dedicated EV, following the popular IONIQ 5. Based on its advanced E-GMP platform, the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 6 is already one of the most efficient EVs on the market, with up to 342 miles of driving range.

It’s also one of the most affordable, starting under $38,000. Meanwhile, Hyundai is preparing to launch an updated model with more range, features, and improved style. It may even include a Tesla NACS port.

In July, we got our first look at the updated IONIQ 6 as early prototypes hit the streets for testing. Since then, it has been spotted out in the wild several times with heavy camouflage.

The latest sighting gives us our best look yet as the new model begins to shed its camo. One of the most noticeable upgrades is to the front end.

Hyundai's-updated-IONIQ-6
2025 Hyundai IONIQ 6 (Source: Hyundai)

Hyundai fine-tuned the front bumper and headlights, adding to its already bold design. It also appears to have new sensors up front, suggesting new ADAS features could be coming.

From the new video from CarShorts, you can see the car’s overall shape looks about the same as the current model, but slight improvements are expected to improve the profile. To match the upgrades up front, the new IONIQ 6 will likely see a redesigned rear bumper and tail lights.

Hyundai’s upgraded IONIQ 6 spotted with a new design (Source: CarShorts)

Hyundai’s updated IONIQ 6 is also due for an “N” upgrade. The IONIQ 6 N has also been spotted testing with notable differences from the standard model, including a massive rear wing (see the images here).

Like the new 2025 IONIQ 5, Hyundai’s updated IONIQ 6 is expected to feature a bigger (84 kWh) battery, providing slightly more range.

Hyundai's upgraded-IONIQ-6
2025 Hyundai IONIQ 6 (Source: Hyundai)

The 2025 IONIQ 5 has a range of up to 318 miles, up from 303 in the previous model. With a driving range of up to 342 miles already, the upgraded IONIQ 6 could see upwards of 350 miles.

As a first, Hyundai’s new IONIQ 5 also includes an NACS port to access Tesla Superchargers. The newly introduced three-row IONIQ 9 also has a native Tesla NACS port, suggesting the upgraded IONIQ 6 will likely follow suit.

Despite the upgrades, Hyundai is expected to keep starting prices flat at around $38,000, similar to the IONIQ 5 pricing.

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MOD City+ 3 Folding e-bikes at $1,799 Black Friday low, Segway Cube power stations $800 off, Rachio smart controllers, more

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November 27, 2024

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MOD City+ 3 Folding e-bikes at ,799 Black Friday low, Segway Cube power stations 0 off, Rachio smart controllers, more

Today’s Green Deals are shining a spotlight back to MOD Bikes’ Black Friday sale to highlight the City+ 3 Folding e-bike and the City+ Step-Thru 3 Folding e-bike which are both down at new $1,799 lows, among the low prices across the other models. We also spotted Segway’s Cube series of portable power stations hitting new lows starting from $600, while Rachio’s smart hose timer and sprinkler controller packages start from $78. Bringing up the rear is a collection of electric tools from multiple brands that are benefitting from up to 70% off discounts during Walmart’s Black Friday sale – all starting from $68. Plus, all the other hangover Green Deals are in the links at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s Black Friday sale changeups from EcoFlow, Segway, 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.

Anker SOLIX C300 power station

Featured deal: With more than 130 years in the bicycle business, Huffy is well-known across the market, especially for its large lineup of kid-friendly models. For Black Friday, the brand is providing some exclusive savings on its iconic Electric Green Machine Trike at $419, after using the promo code ELECTREKGM at checkout for 30% off. Ideal for riders aged 8+ and falling under the 180-pound max weight, it gives kids the chance to experience 15 MPH top speeds thanks to its 250W front hub motor alongside the 36V battery. This model will also grow with your child, as its seat provides three different adjustable settings to keep them safe while they tear up the pavement with plenty of spins and drifts.

Anker SOLIX C300 power station

Featured deal: Buzz Bicycles is bringing readers an exclusive promotion this Black Friday to save $400 on its Centris class 2 folding e-bike that drops costs to the best price of the year on top of including a free accessory – all for $799, after using the promo code ELECTREK200 at checkout. Featuring a step-thru and folding frame, you’ll enjoy cruising through the streets at 20 MPH top speeds for up to 40 miles, making it a great entry-level model for new riders as well as veteran riders seeking a more affordable option. There are two colorways here to choose from, and plenty of solid features like the 4-inch fat tires, front suspension, front and rear lighting – and even front and rear cargo racks too. Adding an electric solution to your commuter needs doesn’t have to break the bank with this deal.

City+ 3 Folding e-bike

MOD’s City+ 3 folding e-bikes give you all-around support on your commutes and joyrides at $1,799 low

Looking back in on MOD’s ongoing Black Friday sale that will continue through December 1, you’ll find the brand’s City+ 3 Folding e-bike down amongst the lowest prices across the lineup for $1,799 shipped, with the City+ Step-Thru Folding e-bike also matching in price for $1,799 shipped. As was the case with all the models under MOD’s flag, these e-bikes’ price tags began the sale by getting a permanent price cut to new $1,999 MSRPs (with the other models seeing up to $1,100 in price cuts), on top of the additional $200 sales discount while the savings last. Before this sale, we only ever saw them fall to $1,999 at the lowest, with that rate now taking over as the starting price and this sale’s markdown giving you a new all-time low going forward.

MOD’s City+ 3 High-Step and Step-Thru folding e-bikes arrive on the scene sporting the brand’s folding frame design, which is perfect for folks in need of some space-saving functionality for their commuting solution. The 750W geared hub motor works with the removable Samsung Li-ion 48V 15Ah/720Wh battery to deliver you where you need to be at top speeds of 28 MPH for up to 50 miles on a single charge with five levels of PAS supported by a superior torque sensor. On top of these, your riding experience will be further bolstered by features like the 300-lumen LED headlight, the integrated LED taillight with brake lighting, hydraulic brakes, multi-terrain Kenda K-Shield tires, a Shimano ALTUS 7-speed derailleur, full cover anti-vibration fenders, a multi-purpose Snap-On rear rack with a 65-pound payload, faux leather grips/saddle, and a S3 Smart Color Display with a USB port to charge your devices as you ride.

More of MOD’s Black Friday deals:

Featured deal: Mokwheel Bikes is offering up to $900 in savings across its e-bike lineup this Black Friday, with free gear coming along with select purchases too. You can buy any two ebikes and get a FREE accessory or FREE Gift Package ($499.99~$699). The biggest of these deals comes in on the brand’s latest models, the Obsidian and Obsidian ST Power Station e-bikes at $2,099, down from $2,999, with a choice between three different gifts, all worth $599. Coming with either the standard high-step or step-thru fames, what makes these newer models stand out is their built-in power station capabilities when you choose to receive the 1,000W inverter as your free gift, providing on-the-go juice for your devices using the bike’s 940W battery (on top of solar charging functionality too)

City+ 3 Folding e-bike

Score up to $800 in savings on Segway’s Cube LiFePO4 portable power stations with new lows starting from $600

As part of its Black Friday sale, Amazon is offering the Segway Cube 2000 Portable Power Station for $899.99 shipped. Normally sitting at a full $1,700 price tag, we’ve seen only a handful of discounts on this model over 2024, with July’s Prime Day event bringing the biggest of them – dropping costs to the former $999 low. It’s been keeping more towards its full price in the months since, usually only falling to $1,200. Today, thanks to the savings season, we’re now seeing a bigger-than-ever 47% markdown that saves you $800 and carves out a new all-time low price. You won’t find this model at Segway’s Black Friday sale right now either, as its completely out of stock, making this the best opportunity to score it at the lowest rate we have tracked.

Segway’s Cube 2000 provides you with a 2,048Wh LiFePO4 battery capacity that you can expand up to 5,038Wh with the purchase of three BTX-1000 expansion batteries (now 29% off at $498). There are 122 output ports here to charge up your devices and appliances – with a steady output power up to 2,200W and peaking at 4,400W. You can refill the station’s battery in about 1.8 hours when plugged into a wall outlet or you can take advantage of its 800W maximum solar input for solar recharging. You’ll also get the full detail of remote smart controls through the Segway-Ninebot app via a Bluetooth connection.

There’s also the smaller Segway Cube 1000 Portable Power Station that is down at its second-lowest $599.99 shipped rate, normally $1,000 at full price. This model provides you with a 1,024Wh LiFePO4 capacity that you can also expand up to 5,120Wh with four of the previously mentioned expansion batteries. It pumps out the same output power as its larger counterpart through the same 12 port options. Recharging here is a little faster at 1.2 hours via a wall outlet, with the same 800W max solar input available to take advantage of too – complete with smart controls.

More Segway Amazon Black Friday deals:

Rachio smart hose timer

Rachio’s smart hose timer and sprinkler controllers keep a watch over your yard’s water needs starting from $78

While its Black Friday savings event continues, Amazon offers the Rachio Smart Hose Timer with Wi-Fi Hub for $78.39 shipped. Normally running you $100 at full price, this device has largely been up and down in price since summer, with most discounts falling between $99 and $79, while also occasionally dipping lower, like the drop to the $69 low that we last saw during October’s Prime Day event. Today, thanks to the Thanksgiving savings season, you’re looking at a 22% markdown that shaves $22 off the going rate, landing the costs down at the third-lowest price we have tracked – just $9 above October’s low rate. If you already have a Wi-Fi hub and are looking to add more smart hose timers to it, you’ll find them at a discounted rate of $59, down from $70.

This packaged pair of devices from Rachio syncs together to deliver smart home controls over your outdoor water supply coming from your spigots. With the Rachio app on your smartphone, you’ll gain monitoring capabilities over flow rates while also being able to set them to schedules – plus, the devices will send you alerts whenever anything goes awry. The smart hose timer, especially, provides a bonus in its weather-watching feature that uses Wi-Fi to keep track of forecasts to skip scheduled watering before or after expected rain/storms, saving you money while also keeping your lawn from being drowned by accident. You can also pair up to four of these timers to one Wi-Fi hub for maximum coverage.

Rachio Black Friday smart controller deals:

walmart BF sale on Greenworks, Worx, Sun Joe, Snow Joe tools and more

Walmart’s Black Friday sale is well underway and continuing through December 1, with up to 70% discounts on electric tools, lawn care equipment, and snow-clearing solutions – both new and restored models – and with plenty of additional rollback and clearance price cuts running parallel. Coming in alongside similar sales from Amazon, we’re seeing some of the best and lowest prices of the year across a bunch of popular brands, including Greenworks, Worx, Sun Joe, Snow Joe, and more – with these massive savings offering the perfect opportunities to update and upgrade your tool arsenal for all seasons. Head below to check out the selection of these deals while they last – most of which are online only deals, so why wait until November 29, when many will likely be sold out and gone?

Walmart Black Friday Greenworks deals:

Walmart Black Friday Worx deals:

Walmart Black Friday Sun Joe/Snow Joe deals:

  • Restored Snow Joe 24V IONMAX Cordless Snow Shovel Bundle: $79 (Reg. $195)
    • comes with 4.0Ah battery, charger, cover, and ice scraper glove
  • Refurbished 12A 14-inch Lawn Mower: $89 (Reg. $100)
  • 13-Amp Corded Electric Leaf Mulcher & Shredder: $115 (Reg. $159)
  • 24V Cordless 13-inch Snow Shovel with 4.0Ah battery: $124 (Reg. $199)
  • 24V Cordless 15-inch Push Reel Lawn Mower with 4.0Ah battery: $180 (Reg. $249)
  • 48V 18-inch Single-Stage Cordless Snow Blower with two 4.0Ah batteries: $239 (Reg. $399)
  • Restored Snow Joe 24V 24-inch Cordless Dual Stage Self-Propelled Snow Blower: $799 (Reg. $1,299)
    • comes with four 24V 12Ah Batteries
  • And much more…

You can check out all the Black Friday deals Walmart has to offer on tools and equipment on the landing page here (with clearance and rollback deals on the same landing page, down below). 

Best Black Friday e-bike 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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Tesla adds longer cables and more to Superchargers as non-Tesla EVs complicate things

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3 hours ago

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November 27, 2024

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Tesla adds longer cables and more to Superchargers as non-Tesla EVs complicate things

Volvo Tesla Supercharger
Photo: Volvo Car USA

Tesla has made several changes to its Supercharger network, including adding longer cables, to make the experience smoother as more non-Tesla EVs join the network and complicate things.

In North America, Tesla has been opening up the Supercharger network to electric vehicles from other automakers for the better part of the year.

Things have been moving slowly, and there are a few reasons for that.

First off, Elon Musk fired Tesla’s entire charging team earlier this year, and the company had to rebuild it, including hiring back some employees. That has slowed things down.

But Tesla also has to take things a bit slower because non-Tesla EVs using the Supercharger network complicate things.

We previously reported that the fact many charge ports are located at different locations on the vehicles than on Tesla vehicles, which are already on the back of the driver’s side.

It forces those EV drivers to park in a way that blocks another charging stall when plugging in at a Supercharger.

Longer cables at Supercharger stations are expected to fix that, but Tesla has been slow to deploy its new V4 stations, which are equipped with much longer cables.

Tesla has now released an update on the situation and how it is addressing the situation:

  • Making stall availability more accurate than ever – The latest Tesla software update improves the accuracy of stall availability estimates. We can detect when another EV, with a charge port located somewhere other than the rear left or front right, is plugged into a short-cable Supercharger stall. This update ensures no more overpromising of stall availability, so you can travel with confidence. We will continuously refine this algorithm to be as accurate as possible, including exact site mapping and faster refreshing of stall availability.
  • Increasing number of long cables – Longer cables mean that V4 posts can serve all port locations. In the next 18 months we will have more long cable than short cable Superchargers.
  • Modifying our sites to avoid blocked spaces – We have modified over 1,500 sites so that drivers never have to use more than 2 charging spaces to charge, increasing stall availability for all.
  • Encouraging the best charge port locations – Since opening up the Supercharger network in Europe in 2021, we’ve encouraged car manufacturers to transition charge port locations to rear left or front right. This provides seamless compatibility with 30k+ short-cable Superchargers available to other EVs globally.

These are all great updates.

It is frustrating to see on Tesla’s navigation that there are stalls available at the Supercharger station you are going to just to find out that the information is not accurate. In some cases, that can be because there’s indeed a stall where no one is plugged in, but you can’t park there because a non-Tesla EV is blocking it, which is OK as per Tesla’s integration of non-Tesla EVs.

It looks like now Tesla is using the data it gets when a non-Tesla EV plugs into a Supercharger to figure out whether it must be blocking the next stall. If that’s the case, that Supercharger will be marked as non-available.

It probably should have been done from the start, but I’m happy to see it happening now.

Tesla has also disclosed that it is designing and redesigning stations so that it wouldn’t happen in the first place.

With Supercharger V4 having longer cables, Tesla now expects to have more longer than shorter cables within the next year and a half.

Finally, Tesla also says that it has been encouraging other automakers to place their charge port at the location.

Electrek’s Take

I hope the latter point proves successful because I think it’s a no-brainer. The charge port should be at the back of the driver’s side.

Some automakers have also been using dual ports, most often with only one DC fast-charging one, on the driver’s side, and another level 2 charge port on the right side, which makes sense, especially for street charging in cities.

Great updates from Tesla Charging.

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