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Both pink and blue have been used to differentiate between different methods of hydrogen production.

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From Tesla’s Elon Musk to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the past few years have seen many high-profile names talk about the role hydrogen may — or may not — play in the planet’s shift to a more sustainable future.

Musk has expressed skepticism about hydrogen’s usefulness, but many think it could help to slash emissions in a number of sectors, including transportation and heavy industry.   

While there’s a major buzz about hydrogen and its importance as a tool in securing a low-carbon future — a topic that’s generated a lot of debate in recent months — the vast majority of its production is still based on fossil fuels.

Indeed, according to a Sept. 2022 tracking report from the International Energy Agency, low-emission hydrogen production in 2021 accounted for less than 1% of global hydrogen production.

If it’s to have any role in the planned energy transition, then hydrogen generation needs to change in a pretty big way.   

Read more about energy from CNBC Pro

“The first thing to say is that hydrogen doesn’t really exist naturally, so it has to be produced,” said Rachael Rothman, co-director of the Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures at the University of Sheffield.

“It has a lot of potential to help us decarbonize going forwards, but we need to find low-carbon ways of producing it in the first place,” she said, adding that different methods of production had been “denoted different colors.”

“About 95% of our hydrogen today comes from steam methane reforming and has a large associated carbon footprint, and that’s what’s called ‘grey’ hydrogen,” Rothman told CNBC.

Grey hydrogen is, according to energy firm National Grid, “created from natural gas, or methane.” It says that the greenhouse gases associated with the process are not captured, hence the carbon footprint that Rothman refers to.

The dominance of such a method is clearly at odds with net-zero goals. As a result, an array of sources, systems and colors of hydrogen are now being put forward as alternatives.

These include green hydrogen, which refers to hydrogen produced using renewables and electrolysis, with an electric current splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen.

Blue hydrogen, on the other hand, indicates the use of natural gas — a fossil fuel — and carbon capture utilization and storage. There has been a charged debate around the role blue hydrogen could play in the decarbonization of society.

Pink potential

Alongside blue and green, another color attracting attention is pink. Like green hydrogen, its process incorporates electrolysis, but there’s a key difference: pink uses nuclear.

“If you split … water, you get hydrogen and oxygen,” Rothman said. “But splitting water takes energy, so what pink hydrogen is about is splitting water using energy that has come from nuclear.”

This means that “the whole system is low carbon, because … there’s no carbon in water … but also the energy source is also very low carbon because it’s nuclear.”

Alongside electrolysis, Rothman noted that nuclear could also be used with something called a thermochemical cycle.

This, she explained, harnessed very high temperatures to split water into oxygen and hydrogen. 

Green hydrogen could help us cut our carbon footprint, if it overcomes some big hurdles

Pink hydrogen already has some potentially significant backers. These include EDF Energy, which has floated the idea of producing hydrogen at Sizewell C, a 3.2-gigawatt nuclear power station planned for the U.K.

“At Sizewell C, we are exploring how we can produce and use hydrogen in several ways,” the firm’s website says. “Firstly, it could help lower emissions during construction of the power station.”

“Secondly, once Sizewell C is operational, we hope to use some of the heat it generates (alongside electricity) to make hydrogen more efficiently,” it adds.

EDF Energy, which is part of the multinational EDF Group, said in a statement sent to CNBC: “Hydrogen produced from nuclear power can play a substantial role in the energy transition.”

The company also acknowledged there were challenges facing the sector and its development.

“Hydrogen is currently a relatively expensive fuel and so the key challenge for low carbon electrolytic hydrogen, whether produced from renewable or nuclear energy, is to bring down the costs of production,” it said.

This needed “supportive policies which encourage investment in early hydrogen production projects and encourage users to switch from fossil fuels to low carbon hydrogen.”

“Growing the market for low carbon hydrogen will deliver the economies of scale and “learning by doing” which will help to reduce the costs of production.”

While there is excitement about the role nuclear could play in hydrogen production and the wider energy transition — the IEA, for example, says nuclear power has “significant potential to contribute to power sector decarbonisation” — it goes without saying that it’s not favored by all.

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

A multi-colored future?

During her interview with CNBC, the University of Sheffield’s Rothman spoke about the bigger picture and the role different types of hydrogen might play. Could we ever see a time when the level of blue and grey hydrogen drops to zero?

“It depends how long a timeframe you’re looking at,” she said, adding that “in an ideal world, they will eventually drop very low.”

“Ultimately, we ideally get rid of all of our grey hydrogen, because grey hydrogen has a large carbon footprint and we need to get rid of it,” Rothman said.

“As we improve carbon capture and storage, there may be a space for blue hydrogen and that’s yet to be evaluated, depending on the … developments there.”

“The pink and green we know there has to be a space for because that’s where you really get the low carbon [hydrogen], and we know it should be, it’s possible to get there.”

Fiona Rayment, chief scientist at the UK National Nuclear Laboratory — which, like EDF Energy, is a member of trade association Hydrogen UK — pressed home the importance of having a range of options available in the years ahead.

“The challenge of net zero cannot be underestimated; we will need to embrace all sources of low carbon hydrogen generation to replace our reliance on fossil fuels,” she told CNBC.

CEO on what's needed for the emerging green hydrogen sector

While there has been a lot of talk about using colors to differentiate the various methods of hydrogen production, there is also a lively discussion about whether such a classification system should even exist at all.

“What we want is low carbon hydrogen,” Rothman said. “And I know there is a lot of confusion about the various colors, and I’ve heard some people say … ‘why do we even have the colors, why do we not just have hydrogen and low carbon hydrogen?'”

“And ultimately, it’s the low carbon bit that’s important, and both pink and green would do that.”

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Podcast: New Tesla Model Y unveil, Mazda 6e, Aptera solar car production-intent, more

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January 10, 2025

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Podcast: New Tesla Model Y unveil, Mazda 6e, Aptera solar car production-intent, more

electrek podcast

In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss the official unveiling of the new Tesla Model Y, Mazda 6e, Aptera solar car production-intent, and more.

The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.

As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.

After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:

We now have a Patreon if you want to help us avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.

Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:

Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET):

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BYD’s new Han L EV just leaked in China and it’s a monster

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January 10, 2025

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BYD's new Han L EV just leaked in China and it's a monster

BYD-Han-L-EV

The Chinese EV leader is launching a new flagship electric sedan. BYD’s new Han L EV leaked in China on Friday, revealing a potential Tesla Model S Plaid challenger.

What we know about the BYD Han L EV so far

We knew it was coming soon after BYD teased the Han L on social media a few days ago. Now, we are learning more about what to expect.

BYD’s new electric sedan appeared in China’s latest Ministry of Industry and Information Tech (MIIT) filing, a catalog of new vehicles that will soon be sold.

The filing revealed four versions, including two EV and two PHEV models. The Han L EV will be available in single- and dual-motor configurations. With a peak power of 580 kW (777 hp), the single-motor model packs more power than expected.

BYD’s dual-motor Han L gains an additional 230 kW (308 hp) front-mounted motor. As CnEVPost pointed out, the vehicle’s back has a “2.7S” badge, which suggests a 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) sprint time of just 2.7 seconds.

BYD-Han-L-EV
BYD Han L EV (Source: China MIIT)

To put that into perspective, the Tesla Model S Plaid can accelerate from 0 to 100 km in 2.1 seconds. In China, the Model S Plaid starts at RBM 814,900, or over $110,000. Speaking of Tesla, the EV leader just unveiled its highly anticipated Model Y “Juniper” refresh in China on Thursday. It starts at RMB 263,500 ($36,000).

BYD already sells the Han EV in China, starting at around RMB 200,000. However, the single front motor, with a peak power of 180 kW, is much less potent than the “L” model. The Han EV can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.9 seconds.

BYD-Han-L-EV
BYD Han L EV (Source: China MIIT)

At 5,050 mm long, 1,960 mm wide, and 1,505 mm tall with a wheelbase of 2,970 mm, BYD’s new Han L is roughly the size of the Model Y (4,970 mm long, 1,964 mm wide, 1,445 mm tall, wheelbase of 2,960 mm).

Other than that it will use a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) pack from BYD’s FinDreams unit, no other battery specs were revealed. Check back soon for the full rundown.

Source: CnEVPost, China MIIT

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Tenways’ new chain-drive CGO600 Pro e-bike returns to $1,399 low, ALLPOWERS New Year sale, Camplux water heater lows, Anker, more

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January 10, 2025

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Tenways' new chain-drive CGO600 Pro e-bike returns to ,399 low, ALLPOWERS New Year sale, Camplux water heater lows, Anker, more

Today’s Green Deals are closing out the week by headlining Tenways’ new 8-speed CGO600 Pro e-bike that is getting $118 in free gear while down at its $1,399 low during the brand’s New Year sale, with the other models seeing similar offers. We also have New Year savings from ALLPOWERS across a collection of power stations and bundle packages, with bonus gifts and extra 10% off promotions – all starting from $89. For folks struggling to enjoy shower time, Camplux’s 18kW and 27kW Electric Tankless Water Heaters sitting at their lowest rates from $240 for the time being. We also spotted a further drop in price on Anker’s SOLIX C200 DC 60,000mAh Power Bank Station to its all-time low of $100 too. Plus, all the other hangover Green Deals can be found in the links at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s phase 2 of EcoFlow’s New Year sale, the $1,000 in savings on LG’s all-in-one washer/dryer combo, 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.

Tenways returns new 8-speed CGO600 Pro e-bike with free gear to $1,399 low in New Year sale ($500 off)

Tenways is wishing folks a happy 2025 by launching a New Year flash sale that is bringing back some Black Friday pricing while the month is still fresh, complete with price cuts and extra savings in promo code form. The most notable model benefitting from this sale is the new CGO600 Pro 8-speed chain-drive e-bike for $1,399 shipped, after using the promo code HAPPY2025TW at checkout to save the extra $200. This new model was released back in October carrying a $1,899 price tag, which cut down costs in the brand’s Black Friday and Christmas sales – first to the $1,399 low, next to $1,599. That same low price is returning again today for the second time, saving you $500. Tenways’ more veteran belt-drive CGO600 Pro e-bike is also down at $1,399 shipped, after using the promo code, its second-lowest rate sitting $100 above its Black Friday low. There are also extra savings for medical providers, military members, first responders, and teachers, with verification slashing an additional $150 off your purchase.

Ideal for folks who enjoy active cycling but also want the option for electric support, Tenways’ CGO600 Pro e-bike weighs in at just 37 pounds, making it very manageable in urban environments. You won’t find any throttle on this model, as the cut-down weight partly comes from the smaller 350W rear hub motor and 360Wh battery, which still provide significant support via four PAS levels (activated with a torque sensor) that cover your efforts for up to 53 miles on one charge, topping out at 20 MPH speeds.

As stated before, Tenways offers two drivetrain options for the CGO600 Pro e-bikes – either the Gates carbon belt drive for quieter operations or the new 8-speed Shimano drivetrain (which also gets the brand’s newest motor too). Aside from those big differences, you’ll enjoy the same features elsewhere on the bikes, with internally routed cables for a streamlined look, LED lighting, puncture-proof tires, Tektro dual-piston hydraulic brakes, and a compact OLED display for controls. You’ll also be getting $118 in free gear in the form of lightweight mudguards and a kickstand.

***Note: The prices below have had the additional $200 promo code factored in – but be sure to use it (HAPPY2025TW) at checkout to maximize savings!

Tenways New Year flash sale e-bike discounts:

  • CGO800S Step-Thru Commuter e-bike: $1,599 (Reg. $1,999)
    • 20 MPH for up to 53 miles
    • Turn-signaling and color display
    • comes with $227 in free gear
  • AGO X Step-Over Urban e-bike: $1,799 (Reg. $2,499)
    • 20 MPH for up to 62 miles
    • Shimano 10-speed drivetrain
    • comes with $307 in free gear
  • AGO T Step-Thru Premium e-bike: $2,499 (Reg. $2,699)
    • 20 MPH for up to 62 miles
    • Enviolo stepless shifting hub
    • comes with $178 in free gear
ALLPOWERS New Year power station sale

ALLPOWERS is helping folks prep for the rest of the year with its New Year sale through January 26 that is taking up to 48% off its backup power units, with orders also getting an additional 10% struck from the price thanks to the promo code AF2025 being used at checkout, as well as some bonus gifts. One of the brand’s best-selling solar generator packages, the R2500 Portable Power Station paired with a 200W solar panel has been dropped to $1,043.10 shipped, after using the promo code AF2025 at checkout for the additional 10% in savings. This combination would normally cost you $1,599 at full price, with this sale dropping it lower than we’ve ever seen direct from ALLPOWERS. While we have seen it go lower at third-party dealers over on Amazon, this is still a solid $556 in savings, dropping it amongst the lowest tracked rates there.

As we’ve seen with similar sales, aside from the 10% off promo code for your total order, ALLPOWERS is also giving away free gifts at certain thresholds while its New Year sale continues. You’ll receive a free 100W solar panel on orders over $1,800 or a free 200W solar panel on orders over $2,800.

Ready to cover your trips out of the home or even support appliances through blackouts, ALLPOWERS’ R2500 power station offers a 2,016Wh LiFePO4 capacity housed within a streamlined formfactor. It’s capable of power output up to 2,500W regularly through its 14 port options, able to peak up to 4,000W for larger appliance needs. There are four ways to recharge the unit’s own battery, with an AC wall outlet taking 1.3 hours to refill its capacity, or you can solar charge in 2 hours with its maximum 1,000W solar input connected. That timeframe can be cut down further to just one hour if you take advantage of its dual AC and solar capabilities, or you can hook it up to your car when you’re in a bind to fill it by the other means.

***Note: The additional 10% in savings has not been factored into the prices below, as the discount takes the percentage off your cart’s entire order – don’t forget to use the code AF2025 for the best prices!

ALLPOWERS best-selling New Year sale bundles:

ALLPOWERS best New Year sale power bank/station deals:

ALLPOWERS best New Year sale expansion power deals:

ALLPOWERS best New Year sale solar generator bundles:

ALLPOWERS New Year sale add-on deals:

Camplux electric tankless water heaters

Keep it steamy with Camplux’s 18kW and 27kW electric tankless water heaters at lowest prices from $240

Through its official Amazon storefront, Camplux is offering its 18kW Electric Tankless Water Heater at $239.99 shipped. This unit would normally cost you $350 at full price, with discounts often keeping prices above $280, aside from the one previous drop to the $240 low at the end of summer. Today’s deal is cutting $110 off the going rate, giving you a second chance at the lowest price we have tracked.

Nothing beats a nice hot shower, especially in the middle of winter. Camplux’s 18kW unit not only ensures things stay steamy, but its compact form factor ensures far less space is taken up compared to traditional water heaters. Once installed, according to Camplux, you won’t have to “wait more than 3 seconds to get plenty of hot water,” with the fast-heating low-consumption heating rods boasting “efficiency up to 99.8% and saving 60% water heating costs for your home.” There are plenty of safety protections built right in, like against overheating, anti-dry heating, water-electricity separation, and more. Do keep in mind though that it requires a minimum 0.66GPM water flow to activate, as well as two double-pole 40A breakers, a wire gauge of 2 x 8 AWG, and a 3/4-inch NPT connection.

Of course, depending on your home’s size and the number of people expected to use the shower, or even how many water sources will be supplied from the unit, you may want to consider something bigger. Right now, you can instead grab the Camplux 27kW model down at a new low of $259.99, a drop from its usual $450. Not only does it promise round the clock hot water delivery, but it’s also rated for multiple points of use over small models.

Anker SOLIX C200 DC power bank station

Anker’s new SOLIX C200 DC 60,000mAh power bank station falls to $100 low

Anker’s official Amazon storefront is offering a return to the best rate on its latest SOLIX C200 DC 60,000mAh Power Bank Station going for $99.99 shipped. Normally this newer model would run you $170 at its full rate, which has seen a few discounts since releasing a few months ago, the biggest of which saw a drop to the $100 low with Cyber Monday savings. With this deal coming in today, you’re getting another shot at its Cyber Monday pricing, saving you $70 as it returns to the lowest price we have tracked. It even beats out Anker’s direct website right now, where it is priced at $110.

Anker’s SOLIX C200 DC power bank station is a smaller and more compact version of the brand’s new C300 DC and AC models, coming in with a slightly smaller 60,000mAh/192Wh LiFePO4 capacity. It delivers up to 300W of output power to your devices through its five port options (two USB-As, one 140W USB-C, one 15W USB-C, one car port). You can refill the units own battery via three ways, with its 140W USB-C port giving you an 80% charge in 1.3 hours through a wall outlet, or you can utilize up to 100W of solar input or the car port for 80% in 1.6 hours.

You’ll also find the larger 90,000mAh C300 DC and C300 AC models matching their direct Anker discounts at Amazon for $180 and $200 at the moment. Not only are you getting the expanded 90,000mAh LiFePO4 capacity here, but they also come sporting different variations of built-in lights for camping trips. You can get the full rundown on its other capabilities in our launch coverage here.

Best New Year 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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