by Dimitra Kessenides, Bloomberg Businessweek Highlights The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an increased interest in electric bicycles, or e-bikes for short, as a sustainable mode of transportation and exercise Specialized Bicycle Components Inc., based in Morgan Hill, California, built their first e-bike in 2013. They now have seven e-bike models and their sales have … Read more
by Carolyn Said, The San Francisco Chronicle Highlights Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) will unveil SB288, the Sustainable Transportation COVID-19 Recovery Act, which would streamline alternative transportation infrastructure projects The proposed bill would fast track sustainable transportation projects that would typically take months or years for approval due to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) … Read more
By Michael J. Coren & Dan Kopf Highlights Since the COVID-19 pandemic, more people have been riding bicycles as their form of transportation and for recreation. According to market research firm NPD, sales of recreational bikes rose 121% to nearly 250,000 in March, while stationary exercise bikes and indoor stands nearly tripled to about 200,000 units. Rails-to-Trails … Read more
By Jim Stinson, Utility Dive Highlights Many EV truck manufacturers have preorders to help replace traditional fleets. Nikola has 14,000 trucks on preorder, with the first delivery of battery-electric trucks to European fleets expected in 2021 Though the price of oil has dropped significantly over the past few months, fleets are still committed to transitioning … Read more
Take action today: Ask your electeds to commit to a phase-out of dirty, gas-powered vehicles and invest in sustainable mobility as part of COVID-19 stimulus funding. On March 30th, The Climate Center and our partners sent a letter to the California Air Resources Board asking them to hold firm on clean air regulations during this pandemic. The … Read more
By Feargus O’Sullivan, City Lab Highlights Anne Hildago, Mayor of Paris, France, wants to limit the use of cars once the city lifts its lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mayor Hildago notes that poor air quality can lead to an increased risk for fatal effects of COVID-19: “It will make the health crisis worse. … Read more
By Buddy Burch, The Climate Center In March 2020, we launched an update to the Survey of Global Activity to Phase Out Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) Vehicles. This survey, which details leadership and innovation in pursuit of electrifying the transportation sector for a climate-safe future, has been an ongoing effort at The Climate Center. We … Read more
Let’s imagine it is April 2030. In the early 2020s, as the coronavirus pandemic swept the world, we in California finally addressed the climate crisis at the speed and scale science demanded. Nation & World Collaborating for Speed & Scale Climate Action Today, Earth Day 2030, we celebrate the deep systemic changes we have collectively … Read more
By John Boesel, CALSTART Highlights California Air Resources Board (CARB) Chairman Mary Nichols emphasizes the importance of banning internal combustions engine (ICE) vehicles during the CALSTART California 2030 Policy Summit. Nichols was previously opposed to the ban of ICE vehicles due to the potential backlash but stated at the Summit: “I’ve become convinced of the need … Read more
by Sean O’Kane, The Verge Highlights President Trump has reversed an Obama-era policy that made new cars more fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly, but faces lawsuits and pushback from various environmental groups and the State of California Under the new rule, automakers will now have to increase the average fuel economy of their new cars by … Read more
