Tag Archives: electric cars

A brief HCC update

Posted on November 13, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

There’s not a lot of non-election news happening right now, but there was this. Houston Community College officials are working to integrate virtual reality and more digital advances into every classroom and program by next fall, one of several goals … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Another Friday Beryl roundup

Posted on July 19, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Still lots to keep up on, so let’s get to it. CenterPoint spent $800M on mobile generators. Where are they post-Hurricane Beryl? Over the last three years, CenterPoint Energy – the company in charge of delivering power to millions of … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

A more in depth overview of electric flying taxis

Posted on June 30, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Good stuff here. When the electric air taxi revolution arrives, you probably won’t it hear coming. A remarkable feature of an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft is how quietly it flies, scarcely noticeable amid typical city traffic sounds. … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on A more in depth overview of electric flying taxis

A brief overview of flying taxis

Posted on May 31, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This was written by the executive director of the Oklahoma Aerospace Institute for Research and Education, and it answers at least one of my questions about our flying taxi future. In the near term, once eVTOLs are certified to fly … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

How about a pilotless air taxi?

Posted on March 13, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Those are coming, too. Not as quickly and with fewer details now available, but it’s out there. Advanced Air Mobility company Wisk agreed to a deal with Sugar Land last week to bring pilotless air taxis to the Houston area. … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Flying taxis coming to an airport near you

Posted on March 2, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Possibly in time for the FIFA World Cup. The Houston Airport System says they plan to bring air taxis to the area within the next two years, just in time for the FIFA World Cup in 2026. “Right now we’re … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Flying taxis coming to an airport near you

Is this the end of the DeLorean dream?

Posted on January 21, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe? Bexar County Commissioner’s Court pulled the plug Tuesday on an incentives package for DeLorean Motors Reimagined, an electric-vehicle startup that pledged to create 450 jobs if it got tax breaks to locate its headquarters in San Antonio. The commissioners … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Is this the end of the DeLorean dream?

Another step forward for flying cars

Posted on December 31, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Excuse me, “air taxis”. Researchers are one step closer to integrating air taxis and other electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles into the country’s busiest airports, thanks to a new air traffic simulation developed by NASA’s Ames Research Center … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Another step forward for flying cars

Harris County gets federal grant for its climate action plan

Posted on October 19, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. The U.S. Department of Energy announced Thursday that it awarded Harris County one of 16 clean energy grants totaling $30 million, distributed to state and local governments nationwide. The Harris County grant of more than $1.6 million is the … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Harris County gets federal grant for its climate action plan

Intellectual property lawsuit against DeLorean dismissed after settlement reached

Posted on October 5, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Whew. A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit accusing the heads of San Antonio-based DeLorean Motors ReImagined of stealing intellectual property from a previous employer, according to an Express-News report. Last August, electric-vehicle maker Karma Automotive sued DeLorean CEO Joost … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Intellectual property lawsuit against DeLorean dismissed after settlement reached

Flying cars update

Posted on July 23, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

They’re coming, part one. Aviation startup Alef Aeronautics recently received Federal Aviation Administration approval to test its flying car. Details: The all-electric “Model A” is designed to take off and land vertically, putting it in the emerging category of eVTOL — electric vertical … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Cruise cars spotted in the wild

Posted on May 29, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

There I was at the WalMart on Yale this week, with my parents, and what did I see but this: Yes, it’s a Cruise car, charging up in the parking lot. We knew that at least initially they will have … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Here come some hydrogen-powered trucks

Posted on January 4, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

There’s more than one way to do no-emissions transportation. The first time Rodrigo Peña climbed into the Hyzon truck’s cabin and eased his foot off the break, it wasn’t the awe of being inside the first hydrogen-powered freight truck to … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Here come some hydrogen-powered trucks

HISD to get funding for electric school buses

Posted on December 5, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Some good news. Houston Independent School District is hopping on the city’s net-zero carbon emissions bus, so to speak, thanks to more than $6.2 million in funding from the Environmental Protection Agency. The funds are part of the EPA’s Clean … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Electric trucks and the power grid

Posted on November 21, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Very interesting. Next month, Tesla Inc. plans to deliver the first of its electric Semi trucks—able to haul a full 40 ton-load some 500 miles on a single charge. These massive batteries-on-wheels may accelerate the transition to electrified transport, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Electric trucks and the power grid

More on the DeLorean reboot company and its interesting legal history

Posted on September 25, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Another prestige podcast in the making, I suspect. Six months after DeLorean Motors Reimagined, the startup seeking to produce a new incarnation of the 1980s sports car, said it would put is headquarters in Texas, a lawsuit filed against the … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

DeLorean reboot company hit with intellectual property lawsuit

Posted on August 22, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a plot twist I didn’t see coming. Mere months after the city and county coughed up nearly $1.1 million in incentives to attract the revamped DeLorean Motor Co., the venture has been hit with a lawsuit alleging its founders … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on DeLorean reboot company hit with intellectual property lawsuit

Our electric car charging stations future

Posted on June 24, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Lots more are coming. Texas is planning to add enough electric vehicle charging stations throughout the state to support 1 million electric vehicles with dozens of new stations to allow for easier long-distance travel. In a draft plan released this … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

“You put an electric engine…in a DeLorean??”

Posted on February 26, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Everything old is new again. Hold onto your flux capacitors: The DeLorean Motor Company is back and making San Antonio its home. Economic development officials announced Monday that the once-defunct 1980s-era car manufacturer, whose gull-wing car was best known as … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on “You put an electric engine…in a DeLorean??”

The infrastructure bill and the power grid

Posted on April 3, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest. President Joe Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure plan could help rebuild Texas highways and ports and push broadband into rural parts of the state, where up to 31 percent of residents do not have access to high-speed internet. It … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The infrastructure bill and the power grid

Here comes the Kroger driverless grocery delivery car

Posted on April 21, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Who wants to order some groceries, in certain selected ZIP codes? Kroger, the nation’s largest grocer, has launched a self-driving grocery delivery service in Houston, the latest salvo in a hyper-competitive grocery market that has supermarket chains investing heavily in … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Here comes the Kroger driverless grocery delivery car

Driverless grocery deliveries

Posted on March 20, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Coming soon to Houston. Some local shoppers soon could see their produce pull up in a Prius in one of the first forays into autonomous vehicles in the Houston area, a move observers said is sure to spur more robot … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Distributing the VW settlement money

Posted on September 22, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Good for some, less good for others. Texas cities will soon get millions of dollars to help clean up air quality, but Houston officials say the plan for distributing all that money isn’t fair. The money is coming from a … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Distributing the VW settlement money

Dan Wallach: 2016 Electric Power Usage Update

Posted on February 21, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Note: From time to time, I solicit guest posts from various individuals on different topics. While I like to think I know a little something about a lot of things, I’m fortunate to be acquainted with a number of people … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Dan Wallach: 2016 Electric Power Usage Update

Dan Wallach: 2015 Electric Power Usage Update

Posted on May 5, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Note: From time to time, I solicit guest posts from various individuals on different topics. While I like to think I know a little something about a lot of things, I’m fortunate to be acquainted with a number of people … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Mayors against climate change

Posted on October 8, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From the Think Globally, Act Locally department. Mayor Annise Parker briefly took center stage Monday in the campaign against climate change by pledging to make America’s energy capital a laboratory for experimentation and action. Frustrated with the congressional response to … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Mayors against climate change

Dan Wallach: Home power analysis, 2014 edition

Posted on July 8, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Note: From time to time, I solicit guest posts from various individuals on different topics. While I like to think I know a little something about a lot of things, I’m fortunate to be acquainted with a number of people … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Tesla will be back

Posted on June 17, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This story was from earlier in June. Texas’ state legislature failed to vote on a bill backed by Musk’s Tesla Motors (TSLA) that would have loosened the state’s restriction on dealerships owned by automakers. The legislature concluded its most recent … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Tesla will be back

Dan Wallach: Energy Pricing 2013

Posted on June 5, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Note: The following is a guest post by my friend Dan Wallach For the past two years, I’ve written a guest blog post here about electrical rates. Let’s do it again, shall we? Last year, I switched from a variable … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

NEVs

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

NEVs are Neighborhood Electronic Vehicles, and they are now street legal in San Antonio. The City Council voted Thursday to approve the use of supercompact neighborhood electronic vehicles, or NEVs, on city streets with posted speed limits of 35 mph … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on NEVs

Auto dealers versus Tesla

Posted on May 4, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I’m pretty sure the dealers will win this round, but I doubt they can win in the long run. Texas auto dealers and their lobbyists in Austin are targeting legislation that would allow Tesla Motor Inc. to sell its all-electric … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Legislative quick hits

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This is the time of the session where there’s lots happening, and there isn’t always the time or space to stay on top of it all. So here are a few quick updates on things that are happening in an … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

What does Tesla Motors have in common with microbreweries?

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Both are forbidden by archaic laws from selling their wares direct to the public. Electric car maker Elon Musk wants to bet big on Texas – but he’s having trouble getting his chips on the table. Musk, a South African-born … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

EDF report on school buses

Posted on December 5, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

From the Environmental Defense Fund: Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) [Monday] released a report titled “Review of Texas’ Clean School Bus Programs: How Far Have We Come and What Is Still Left to Do?” This report evaluates each of the clean … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on EDF report on school buses