Why the National Renewable Energy Laboratory just banned electric bikes
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has recently announced a hardline approach that bans the entrance of electric bicycles by visitors or staff due to safety concerns.
The NREL is a federally-funded R&D center that focuses on sustainable energy solutions, including research into solar energy and energy efficiency, among others.
According to the NREL’s fire marshal Nicholas Bartlett, micromobility devices such as electric scooters and bikes are no longer permitted to be charged or stored in the buildings.
As Bartlett explained:
“The data in the past few years shows an alarming trend of injuries and deaths, as demonstrated by entities such as NYFD and the UL Fire Safety Research Institute. The fires and explosions are attributed to a wide variety of causes such as mismatched chargers, overcharging, uncertified/Listed batteries, poor manufacturing quality, home made devices, etc. We cannot necessarily control what people purchase and use, but in some instances we are able to put restrictions on where and how an activity can be done (and we routinely do for everything from experiments with chemicals to fall protection).”
While still rare, some college campuses and government housing initiatives in the US have announced similar bans under the guise of fire safety.
For its part, the NREL has shown tacit support for electric bikes and micromobility in the past, and isn’t saying that employees should avoid riding e-bikes to work. As an alternative to storing or charging e-bikes indoors, such as in employees’ offices, Bartlett shared that the NREL has “worked to implement outdoor charging locations, at a reasonable distance from building entrances, such as the one shown here,” alongside a photo of a short bike rack with three parking slots next to an outdoor electrical outlet.
The NREL has an annual budget of US $783.5 million and a staff of over 2,600 people.
Electrek’s Take
Frankly, I’m quite disappointed in the NREL for getting caught up in this sensationalism. This is the e-bike equivalent of your ignorant neighbor quipping “I see you bought an electric car… better not park it in the garage unless you have fire insurance”.
The fact of the matter is that e-bike fires, while a legitimate threat, are also a tiny, minuscule threat. They get a disproportional amount of media attention because those headlines get far more clicks (and thus make more money) than “Millions of e-bikes charged uneventfully today, just like yesterday.”
I understand that the NREL’s goal here is to protect their staff. But if that’s truly the case, then they would be much better served with a scientific approach to the problem. This knee-jerk reaction likely “feels right” to the decision makers because they saw several scary headlines and now felt like they are doing something, but the data doesn’t support the move. Even a more soft-touch approach, such as banning charging indoors while still letting employees park their e-bikes in their offices, would have been a major improvement. E-bike fires in buildings are exceedingly rare. Of the small number that do occur, cases where the e-bikes spontaneously combusted while in storage are a small subset of an already small subset. The small number of e-bike fires has almost always occurred during charging (generally due to charging mistakes and/or ultra-low quality batteries).
Instead of banning e-bikes in the building, the NREL could have a much larger impact on their staff’s health and safety by banning arriving at work by private automobile. Essentially every study on the subject has proven that private cars are several times more deadly than public transportation. But hey, why let data ruin good intentions?
That isn’t to say that more effort shouldn’t be put into higher quality e-bike manufacturing principles as well as regulating out the more dangerous dirt-cheap e-bikes. But let’s get real. E-bikes sitting in the corner of someone’s office are saving countless more lives than they are risking.
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While Tesla has struggled to deliver on the hype of its self-driving promises, Einride has been quietly developing a Level 4 self-driving electric truck. Now, that quiet effort is paying off. For the first time, the company is operating a fully autonomous, heavy-duty EV on public roads in Europe.
The Einride Level 4 autonomous HDEV is being operated under a relatively new Belgian regulatory framework, and showcases how Einride (and Europe) might hope to take the lead in advancing autonomous freight technology. Now in service at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, one of the most complex logistics centers in the world, Einride believes its autonomous trucks can move goods with more efficiency and lower emissions than human-driven, diesel-powered rivals.
“Antwerp is more than a logistical hub,” explains Johan Klaps, an alderman at the port of Antwerp. “(Antwerp) is also a place where the mobility of tomorrow is tested and concretized. Autonomous and sustainable applications such as Einride’s proves that innovation is a driver for competitiveness and economic growth.”
Einride autonomous HDEV
The Einride truck itself is an impressive piece of engineering, fitted with a robust 320 kWh li-ion battery pack that promises more than 650 km (405 miles) of all-electric range, thanks to a combination of slippery aerodynamics, energy-efficient electric drive motors, and (of course) the energy-smart driving tactics employed by its impressive self-driving software.
Einride says its autonomous driving system (backed by a remote operator, Waymo-style, to help deal with edge cases) processes over 5 million data points per second, using radar and LiDAR to feed AI that generates real-time driving instructions for seamless navigation and freight delivery. And, thanks to its purpose-built, cab-less design and 82,000 lb. GVWR, each electric truck can operate with fewer than one remote operator per vehicle, paving the way for far more cost-efficient and expansive logistics operations without the need for many more operators.
“What we are seeing today in Antwerp perfectly aligns with European ambitions,” says Andrea De Candido, Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility (CCAM) DG RTD – European Commission. “(We’re) developing innovative technologies that are efficient, safe, sustainable and scalable. Through pioneering projects like this, we strengthen Europe’s position in future-oriented automated mobility solutions.”
With driver shortages still hitting the industry and electric semi fleets already running across Europe, the Middle East, and even here in the US, it’s only a matter of time before Einride rolls out its autonomous trucks in more markets.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Einride; via LinkedIn.
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A hacker has revealed new details of Tesla’s upcoming stripped-down Model Y, which is likely going to be the automaker’s most affordable level yet.
Tesla has been teasing the release of “more affordable models” since last year, but there’s been confusion around what Tesla plans to release.
As we have reported for almost a year, CEO Elon Musk canceled Tesla’s planned “$25,000 EV” in favor of stripped-down versions of its Model 3 and Model Y.
Due to Tesla still referring to them as “new, more affordable models”, many people believed that Tesla would still bring to market new, cheaper models.
In fact, the automaker initially stated that it would arrive in the “first half of 2025.”
The first half of 2025 came and went without new, cheaper models. Instead, Tesla claimed that the “first build” of the new model was produced in June, and it will launch later this year.
In July, Musk finally confirmed that the first “new affordable model” is in fact simply a Model Y.
The new stripped-down Model Y is codenamed E41 and is expected to feature cheaper materials and fewer features than the normal Model Y, which starts at $45,000 in the US.
It is expected to be similar to what Tesla did with the new base Model 3 in Mexico, which features cloth materials instead of vegan leather, lacks a rear display, has no ambient lighting, and features a less advanced audio system.
However, we now learn that the new affordable Model Y will go further than a cheaper interior.
Green, a well-known Tesla hacker who often reveals new features in vehicles through looking deep in firmware updates, claims to have uncovered new details about the upcoming Model Y E41 through the latest Tesla firmware update.
The details are somewhat limited as he has to decode them from the firmware, but here’s the full list of what he has found out about the new cheaper Model Y:
- “Essential” and “essential with commodity” audio packages
- Backup camera without heater
- No “air wave” in the center console, which likely means no air flow control for the second row
- A new front fascia
- Simplified fiberglass headliner
- Simplified cabin lighting (footwell only)
- Simplified seat controls (single axis)
- No power mirror folding
- No puddle lamps
- No glass roof
- No second row display
- No Tire Pressure Monitoring System
- Simplified 18″ wheels
- Downgraded suspension
Tesla has yet to confirm when the new Model Y version will launch, but we previously reported that Tesla is likely waiting for Q4 as it is enjoying strong demand in Q3 from the end of the federal tax credit in the US.
Electrek’s Take
I like “simplified”. I don’t know if the term comes from Green or Tesla, but it certainly works better than “stripped-down,” even though it is also accurate based on what we are learning about the new version.
This didn’t work with the Cybertruck. Tesla quickly discontinued the “simplified” version, but the Cybertruck was already much less popular than Model Y.
I don’t know. This could work. It depends entirely on pricing. If it brings the base price down to $35,000, I can see some people going for it.
However, it will likely devalue Tesla’s “premium” brand and the Model Y significantly.
Also, most of the demand is likely going to come from Model Y buyers in the first place – cannibalizing Tesla’s own sales.
In short, it’s more of a placeholder to slow down the degradation of Tesla’s EV business amid its shift to autonomous driving and robotics, rather than a solution to return to EV growth. That’s a bummer.
Tesla needs brand-new EV models. It’s plain and simple.
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For decades, Briggs & Stratton has helped keep the lights on after the storm with its gas-powered generators. Now, the company is bringing that legacy into the modern electric era with a home backup battery — and a new partnership with EG4 is making it easier than ever to integrate Briggs’ batteries into your home solar setup.
As more home solar and hurricane-zone customers begin to explore battery energy storage solutions, Milkwaukee-based Briggs & Stratton is partnering with Texas-based EG4 to offer an all American-branded solution for battery backup power. And, while Briggs is already a known quantity, EG4 is making its own fans, too, thanks to the company’s focus on both user- and installer-friendly designs that put resilience and reliability first.
That dependability makes the EG4 inverters favorites among “preppers” as well. Its 18KPV inverters are EMP-hardened, promising reliable performance even after Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) events that would disable other electronics.
“Our collaboration with Briggs & Stratton combines EG4’s advanced energy storage systems with their proven generator and storage technologies to give customers more ways to achieve reliable, uninterrupted power,” said James Showalter, founder and CEO of EG4. “With this partnership we are making it easier than ever to build the right solution for energy independence.”
Simplify, SimpliPHI
Briggs & Stratton’s SimpliPHI battery packages start with one, two or three SimpliPHI-branded 6.6 kW batteries, designed as modular components to deliver a range of power options tailored to how much of the home or business the user wants to keep powered power during an outage. Is that 25% of their normal energy usage? 100%? Just add more batteries.
The companies explain that, with a 200A pass-thru for easy integration into most homes’ main service panels, the Briggs & Stratton + EG4 home solar battery system can be scaled up to 18 batteries for 119.7 kWh of energy storage and a maximum continuous power of 84 kW, or up to 90 hours of power at 100% load.
“We are excited to expand our closed-loop integrations with EG4,” explains Sequoya Cross, vice president of energy storage for Briggs & Stratton Energy Solutions. “We have been consistently impressed with their approach to the market, innovative design choices and products that reliably serve their customers.”
Briggs says its batteries are designed to last a minimum of 15 years. Pricing will vary depending on your backup needs and system design. Reach out to a local installer for a customized quote.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Briggs & Stratton.
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Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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