Airbus Flaps its Wings for Sustainability

Getting to the Track Sustainably is my monthly column on developments in sustainable transportation that could have some application to motorsport. Since most carbon emissions come from logistics and transportation, this topic is of utmost importance as motorsport works to make itself more sustainable. Here are some articles you may find of interest.

Some of what I am featuring this month are Honda’s 0 Series Star Wars-inspired concepts, decarbonizing ports and shipping and the fascinating Airbus eXtra Performance Wing Demonstrator which flaps its wings!

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Sustainable Ground Transportation

• Nissan’s Bonkers New All-Electric Concept Car Could Actually Make It to the Road (Robb Report)
• InductEV Receives Patents Related to Wireless EV Charging (Electrified Magazine)
• US EV Sales Up 143%, Walmart Electric Semis, & Cheap Electric Vehicles — Top Cleantech News (Clean Technica)
• Future Cars Worth Waiting For: 2024–2028 (Car and Driver)
• The Electric Volkswagen GTI Is Coming For 2026 (Road & Track)
• Mercedes Compact EV Sedan Spied, Promises Impressive New Platform (Car and Driver)

• Honda’s 0 Series EV Concepts Look Straight Out of ‘Star Wars’ (The Drive)
• Electric Honda 0 Series Saloon and Space Hub First Look: Thin, Light, and Wise (MotorTrend)
• CES 2024: Honda Drops A Pair Of Wild EV Concepts (Electrified)
• More Range from Nickel-Rich Electric Vehicle Batteries (Clean Technica)
• Big-Battery EV Trucks and SUVs Can’t Beat Physics (Road & Track)
• Tesla and EV Expert Sandy Munro: Solid State Batteries are “Kiss of Death” for Gas Cars (MotorTrend)
• 2024 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid arrives as the plug-in middle child for $100,750 (MotorAuthority)
• The First Porsche 911 Hybrid Is Finally Coming (Robb Report)
• Is EV Battery Swapping The Future? Stellantis And Ample Think So (Electrified Magazine)
• Researchers Develop Promising Approach To Smaller, More Powerful, Safer Electric Vehicle Batteries (Clean Technica)

• Is The Switchblade A Hybrid Electric Car That Flies Or A Plane That Drives? (Electrified)
• Toyota boss explains reluctance to go all in on EVs (Motor Authority)
• Driving The Eletre: Is This Giant Electric SUV Still A Lotus? (Forbes)
• Solid-State Batteries Will Offer More Power and Less Weight. But When? (Road & Track)
• The environmental costs of EV batteries that politicians don’t tend to talk about (CBC)
• Tires of the Future: What Will EVs and AVs Roll On? (MotorTrend)
• 2024 Fiat 500e: Stellantis’ First Battery-Electric Vehicle In North America (Electrified)
• 2024 Blazer EV PPV: Chevy’s First Pursuit-Rated Electric Vehicle (Electrified)
• BMW M starts testing 4-motor electric drivetrain (Motor Authority)

• The fastest electric car from Zuffenhausen (Porsche)
• New Porsche Taycan Buries The Tesla Model S Plaid With 7:07 Ring Lap Record (Motor 1)
• Porsche’s Experimental Electric GT4 and Its ‘Oversteer Pedal’ Left Me More Excited For the EV Future (Road & Track)
• China’s BYD closer to taking Tesla’s electric car top spot (BBC)
• Honda and GM bail on affordable EV collaboration (Motor Authority)
• Ferrari’s All-Electric ‘Pizza’ Motor Powers Its Hybrid Turnaround (Road & Track)
• The best cars to look forward to in 2024 (Gentleman’s Journal)

• 2024 Corvette E-Ray – 2024 PCOTY Hot Lap (Road & Track)
• World EV Sales Now Equal 19% Of World Auto Sales — Top Models (Clean Technica)
• This Solar-Electric 4×4 Truck Set A New World Altitude Record (Electrified)
• Tesla Kept EV Sales Crown in 2023, but Competition Is Closing In (AutoWeek)
• Can Legacy Automakers Survive The New EV Era? (Forbes)
• The History of Super High-Power EVs Goes Back Farther Than You Think (Road & Track)
• Kia PV5 Pickup Concept Could Be a $35,000 Electric Truck (The Drive)
• The Makers of Gran Turismo Will Help Sony and Honda Build a Better Electric Sedan (The Drive)

• The Electric Jeep Wagoneer S Arrives in 2024 With 600 HP (Road & Track)
• 2024 Will Be the Year We Figure Out EV Charging (CNET)
• New material found by AI could reduce lithium use in batteries (BBC)
• The New Tesla Model 3 Is Now Available In The US (Motor1)
• These were the best-selling EVs in the US in 2023 – Rivian R1S cracks the top 10 (Electrek)
• Hyundai Ioniq 5 N NPX1 Teases a New Extreme for EV Performance (The Drive)
• GMC Hummer EV Pickup 0-60 MPH and ¼-Mile Tested: How Fast Can 9,000 Pounds Go? (MotorTrend)
• Hertz is ditching 20,000 electric cars, citing expensive repairs. Here’s how much it can cost to service an EV. (Business Insider Africa)
• Porsche Readies Self For Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car…Maybe! (CleanTechnica)
• 2025 Porsche 911 Hybrid Teased: A Monumental Overhaul for the Iconic Sportscar (Man of Many)

• Fisker Pear teased, prototypes ready for testing (Motor Authority)
• CES 2024: The VinFast VF 3 Mini-eSUV Is Coming To The U.S. (Electrified)
• EV Batteries: Supply Chain & Sustainability Challenges (EV Magazine)
• Volkswagen and rivals plug away at solid-state battery puzzle (Reuters)
• We Give the 2025 Porsche Macan EV Prototype a Real-World Range Test (MotorTrend)
• 2024 Nissan Ariya NISMO: The Electric SUV Reaches for Performance (MotorTrend)
• Can Toyota See Into the Future of Electric Cars? (Road & Track)
• Fleet Charging Will Be Essential For Electric Vehicle Sales Growth (Forbes)
• EVs work fine in the cold in Norway. Here’s how they do it (Fast Company)
• Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi on why the EV transition can’t slow (Fast Company)
• EVs Are Holding Their Own (Road & Track)
• Best Hybrid Vehicles You Can Buy in 2024 (Road & Track)

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Sustainable Aviation

• Airbus Is Testing Planes With Flapping Wings to Help Reduce Carbon Emissions (Robb Report)
• This New Butterfly-Shaped eVTOL Aims to Be the Quietest and Safest in the Sky (Robb Report)
• American Airlines demonstrated what could be the world’s cheapest way to fight global warming (Quartz)
• Top 10 net-zero strategies from the world’s busiest airports (Sustainability Magazine)
• Top 10: Electric Aircraft (EV Magazine)

• This Supersized eVTOL Will Carry 40 Passengers at One Time (Robb Report)
• Supernal S-A2 eVTOL Is the Flying Taxi That Could Be Real (MotorTrend)
• Top 10 net-zero strategies from the world’s busiest airports (Sustainability Magazine)
• Why carbon removal is critical to reaching net-zero aviation (Sustainability Magazine)
• Seaplanes Are Back and They’re Cooler Than Ever. Here’s Why. (Robb Report)
• Need for speed (Monocle)

• This World’s First Hydrogen-Powered VTOL Aircraft Could Hit the Skies Next Year (Robb Report)
• Study identifies plans for 45 e-fuel facilities in Europe, as Norway leads the way (Green Air News)
• NGOs challenge labelling of new aircraft as green under changes to EU Taxonomy rules (Green Air News)
• Start-up SAF One teams with Vietjet to develop and use sustainable fuels in Vietnam (Green Air News)

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Sustainable Shipping

• Decarbonizing: Ports & Maritime (Carbon Better)
• This New All-Electric Boat Could Change Day Cruising as We Know It (Robb Report)
• Great days of sail (Monocle)
• This New Electric 110-Foot Sailing Yacht Gives You Two Ways to Cruise Emissions Free (Robb Report)
• Eco-responsible superyacht honoured by Monaco Yacht Club (Monaco Tribune)

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