CleanTechnica

New Most Efficient Solar Panels, Turning Ocean Water into Drinking Water — Top Stories of the Week

Zachary Shahan — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 18:00:48 +0000

It’s time for another rundown of the most popular stories of the past week here on CleanTechnica. Take a look below at what grabbed people’s interest, and then also see the various CleanTechnica originals we published in the past week. Most Efficient Solar Module in the World — New Record ... [continued]

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Jackery FridgeGuard Takes Stylish, Customer-Centric Design to Refrigerator Backup Battery

Larry Evans — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 17:39:39 +0000

Jackery launched its stylish, slim FridgeGuard CleanTechnica was given an exclusive preview of the FridgeGuard a couple of months ago and we came away impressed with what we saw. Clear attention was given to design the refrigerator backup battery to fit customer needs and the refrigerator application The final product ... [continued]

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Is Being Transparent The Best Approach To Fighting Food Disinformation?

Carolyn Fortuna — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 17:32:31 +0000

Clinton Monchuk, executive director of Farm and Food Care Saskatchewan, is trying to persuade Canadian farmers to share more information about their growing practices in order to dispel misinformation that is circulating on social media. Monchuk states, “It’s just telling the truth and being transparent about what we do so ... [continued]

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DOJ Rushes To Help xAI Pollute The Skies Over Mississippi

Steve Hanley — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 16:31:14 +0000

xAI is hiding behind the skirts of Uncle Sam and the DOJ to dodge its legal obligations not to poison people with its activities.

The post DOJ Rushes To Help xAI Pollute The Skies Over Mississippi appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Brazil EV Sales Report: 153% Growth in May Brings Latin America’s Largest Market to 13.5% EV Market Share!

Juan Diego Celemín Mojica — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 16:03:16 +0000

Latin America’s giant is waking up. For long a regional leader (ranking consistently in the fourth position in our region), Brazil has shown long periods of relative stagnation followed by sudden bursts of growth triggered by the entrance of new, more competitive models in the country. However, this trend (constant ... [continued]

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Economic Growth No Longer Guarantees Fuel Growth

Michael Barnard — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 15:21:24 +0000

For most of the 20th century, a simple assumption worked well enough for energy forecasting: when economies grew, fuel demand grew with them. More people, more housing, more vehicles, more factories, more roads, more ports, more airports, more concrete, more steel, more coal, oil, and gas. The relationship was not ... [continued]

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100 Battery Energy Storage Systems To Be Installed At Commercial Sites

Jake Richardson — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 14:09:21 +0000

The energy-as-a-service company Budderfly has partnered with Viridi to add battery energy storage systems at some of the commercial sites it manages. Budderfly provides energy-efficient equipment, measuring and billing technology, virtual power plants, smart technology monitoring, and more. Typically, battery energy storage systems are installed in smaller numbers, so it ... [continued]

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Europe’s Sovereignty Budget

Transport & Environment (T&E) — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 03:25:53 +0000

Imagine if Europe chose to spend a half a trillion a year on a dependency that benefits regimes which wish it harm. We don’t have to imagine it. We are doing it right now. By Ariel Brunner, Regional Director, BirdLife Europe and Central Asia, Chiara Martinelli, Director, Climate Action Network Europe, Ester Asin, ... [continued]

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The EU Must Reset The Narrative On Vehicle Electrification, Says Broad Coalition Of Industry Groups And Civil Society

Transport & Environment (T&E) — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 03:03:56 +0000

In a letter to EU leaders, the group says that rather than lowering ambition, Europe must focus on accelerating electrification. To: Heads of State or Government of the European Union, Dear Heads of State or Government of the European Union, We, a broad coalition representing non-governmental organizations, think tanks, energy ... [continued]

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Solar Manufacturing Capex in the USA Exploded from $150 Million in 2020 to $2.5 Billion in 2026

Zachary Shahan — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 23:53:37 +0000

In another example of how much US solar manufacturing has gone from small potatoes to a giant industry since Joe Biden took office in 2021, here’s a whopper of a stat: solar manufacturing capex in the USA has exploded from $150 million in 2020 to an estimated $2.5 billion in ... [continued]

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BYD Taking Responsibility Increases God’s Eye Use & Makes Vehicles Safer

Larry Evans — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 20:44:31 +0000

Last month, BYD announced full damage guarantee for “Urban NOA,” or city driving, on LiDAR equipped cars that have been delivered with their latest 5.0 software or have received the OTA update. This comes in addition to fully covering “intelligent parking” using the advanced ADAS system. BYD indicated that their ... [continued]

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Rivian Pursues Financial Sustainability with Layoffs

Zachary Shahan — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 19:37:02 +0000

Rivian is in the middle of a big moment in its still fairly young life. It is stepping out of the very expensive portion of the SUV and truck market and into the moderately expensive portion of the market. It is expected to sell a lot more units of the ... [continued]

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Fossil Fuels Are 40% Of Freight Shipping Tonnage, But Half Its Fuel Use

Michael Barnard — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 17:34:13 +0000

Maritime fuel debates usually start with the wrong object. They look at today’s bunker fuel demand, line up replacement molecules, and ask whether ammonia, methanol, hydrogen, LNG, biofuels, or synthetic fuels can scale far enough to replace it. That sounds like a practical question, but it skips the larger one: ... [continued]

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UK Plans To Roll Back EV Mandate

Steve Hanley — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 17:29:46 +0000

The UK is getting ready to rejigger its ZEV mandate to satisfy concerns from automakers and trade unions concerned about the future.

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VinFast Needs To Work On Its Marketing In The USA

Zachary Shahan — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 14:56:05 +0000

Raymond Tribdino has done a great job for us covering VinFast for us — its grand ambitions, it struggles, and how it is adapting to try to eventually achieve its vision. One of the company’s biggest challenges and failures has been trying to break into the US market. There are ... [continued]

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8 New Fast EV Chargers Installed In Kentucky

Jake Richardson — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 14:01:23 +0000

It was just about one month ago that the Team Kentucky EV Charging program announced its tenth Kentucky EV fast-charging site was completed and open for charging. Two new EV fast-charging stations were recently installed and made operational; one in Elizabethtown and another in Shepherdsville. Each new station has four ... [continued]

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EVs Will Come Roaring Back, Rivian Edition

Tina Casey — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 12:40:23 +0000

The US startup Rivian has joined the ChargeScape collaborative, providing its customers with seamless access to utility discounts for EVs.

The post EVs Will Come Roaring Back, Rivian Edition appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Renault EV Demand Grew 50% in Some Markets from Iran War

Zachary Shahan — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 03:58:35 +0000

As a result of the US and Israel war against Iran, Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz and much of the world’s oil couldn’t get to market. Countries have been relying on oil reserves for weeks, and there have been strong warnings that if the Strait of Hormuz blockage isn’t ... [continued]

The post Renault EV Demand Grew 50% in Some Markets from Iran War appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Why Robotaxis Will Struggle To Compete

Zachary Shahan — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 03:57:51 +0000

First of all, compared to taxis and app-based ride-hailing vehicles (Uber and Lyft vehicles), robotaxis may end up competing very well and driving those human-driven options out of the market. However, there’s a huge difference between that limited market and the normal passenger car market. Many robotaxi enthusiasts expect robotaxis ... [continued]

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Tesla Cybercab Specs Are Public — But Questions Remain

Zachary Shahan — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 03:55:40 +0000

Tesla Cybercab specs have been revealed via an EPA filing. It’s a 15-page document, but here are some of the key facts and figures: Battery Capacity: 326-volt system, 146 Ah — probably around 50 kWh energy storage capacity Electric Motor: 163 kW (219 hp), front-mounted AC permanent magnet motor Curb ... [continued]

The post Tesla Cybercab Specs Are Public — But Questions Remain appeared first on CleanTechnica.

BMW Reaches 2 Million Electric Vehicles, Focusing More & More On Smart Home Technology

Zachary Shahan — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 03:54:00 +0000

BMW Group has reached a big milestone globally. The company has produced its 2 millionth fully electric vehicle. The 2 millionth EV was a BMW i5 M60 xDrive sedan in Tansanit Blue assembled at Plant Dingolfing that went to a customer in Spain. The Dingolfing factory began producing BMW electric ... [continued]

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South Carolina PSC Finalizes Canadys Gas Plant Approval

Press Release — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 00:11:25 +0000

Approval Comes with No Cost Caps Despite Ballooning Price Estimates COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Public Service Commission (PSC) finalized its May 15th approval of the Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Convenience and Necessity for the proposed Canadys Gas Plant last Friday. The final order fails to put a cap on the total ... [continued]

The post South Carolina PSC Finalizes Canadys Gas Plant Approval appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Spain Could Have Nearly 7 Gigawatts of Offshore Solar Power

Zachary Shahan — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 23:56:19 +0000

We’ve written for years about how much solar power potential countries have, how much onshore and offshore wind power potential countries have, and how much solar power growth is occurring in countries around the world — but what about offshore solar power potential? That was never really part of the ... [continued]

The post Spain Could Have Nearly 7 Gigawatts of Offshore Solar Power appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Donald Trump Retreats from Lawsuit Challenging Illegal Wind Ban

Press Release — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 23:50:11 +0000

Washington, D.C. — The Trump administration has voluntarily dismissed its own appeal in a lawsuit challenging Donald Trump’s executive order banning wind project development in the United States. This effectively ends the unlawful, sweeping ban on wind power. Attorneys General from 17 states and Washington, D.C. challenged this executive order ... [continued]

The post Donald Trump Retreats from Lawsuit Challenging Illegal Wind Ban appeared first on CleanTechnica.

How Mexico Lost Track Of Its EV Revolution, And Why Only A Small Team Is Keeping Up With It

Juan Diego Celemín Mojica — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 22:17:30 +0000

A year ago, on this very site, we reported that all our previous EV sales articles for Mexico were wrong, and that we had been underestimating numbers for as long as we had been reporting on them. That was the last report on Mexican sales we did, and the matter ... [continued]

The post How Mexico Lost Track Of Its EV Revolution, And Why Only A Small Team Is Keeping Up With It appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Circularity Cuts Cost Of Making Sustainable Aviation Fuel From Bio-Methane

Steve Hanley — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 18:22:31 +0000

Singularity Fuels in California has completed a six month trial of its system that converts bio-methane to sustainable aviation fuel.

The post Circularity Cuts Cost Of Making Sustainable Aviation Fuel From Bio-Methane appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Over 250,000 Public EV Chargers Operating In US Now

Jake Richardson — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 17:41:16 +0000

If you have been following the growth of US public EV charging infrastructure, you know there has been steady expansion this last year or eighteen months. In fact, there have been dozens or more announcements about federal funding reaching some US states, but not all, for the continued installation of ... [continued]

The post Over 250,000 Public EV Chargers Operating In US Now appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Solar Energy Is Essential (Trump Just Won’t Admit It)

Tina Casey — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 17:00:25 +0000

The US Air Force is among those recognizing that solar energy is an essential tool in the national defense toolkit, with the potential to replace treacherous fuel resupply missions for ground operations.

The post Solar Energy Is Essential (Trump Just Won’t Admit It) appeared first on CleanTechnica.

China’s First Build Is Ending, And The World Won’t Repeat It

Michael Barnard — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 15:15:44 +0000

One of the easiest ways to get long-range energy and materials demand wrong is to treat first-build infrastructure demand as a permanent condition. Countries build their first stock of housing, highways, ports, rail, power systems, water systems, industrial parks, and concrete-and-steel cities once. After that, the demand structure changes. The ... [continued]

The post China’s First Build Is Ending, And The World Won’t Repeat It appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Want To Create A Viable And Sustainable Community Garden? These Folks Can Show You How

Carolyn Fortuna — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:27:54 +0000

He wears a straw floppy hat, gray tee shirt, black shorts, and topsiders. His round face and easy smile belie his tenacity and vision. Bernie McBee has led an incredible mission to create a sustainable community garden in an economically disadvantaged area of Fort Pierce, Florida. With the support of ... [continued]

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Rivian R3 & R3X Will Go On Sale … Eventually

Steve Hanley — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 02:16:24 +0000

Rivian has hinted that its R3 and R3X hatchbacks may go into production as soon as its new factory in Georgia is complete.

The post Rivian R3 & R3X Will Go On Sale … Eventually appeared first on CleanTechnica.

EV-Friendly RVs With Big Trailer Features? It’s No Longer Impossible.

Jennifer Sensiba — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 01:53:00 +0000

If you have ever tried towing a standard travel trailer with an electric vehicle, you know the pain. You watch your range drop by half or more and find yourself stopping to charge way more often than you would with just the EV. Finding a camper that can actually handle ... [continued]

The post EV-Friendly RVs With Big Trailer Features? It’s No Longer Impossible. appeared first on CleanTechnica.

New World Record Set For Solar Module With Perovskite

Tina Casey — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 23:49:39 +0000

Despite the sharp U-turn in US energy policy, global innovators like China's Trinasolar are continuing to set new records for solar conversion efficiency.

The post New World Record Set For Solar Module With Perovskite appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Floating Solar PV on Foam with Air Bubblers

Zachary Shahan — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 22:17:35 +0000

Floating solar PV power has been one of the most interesting and fun segments of the global solar power industry in the past decade. When it started popping onto the scene, it was catchy, but one wondered, was it really practical and cost effective? As it turns out, the benefits ... [continued]

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Elon Musk’s Missed Full Self-Driving Targets Are Even Wilder Than I Remembered

Zachary Shahan — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 19:02:47 +0000

There’s been a little debate going on lately about whether Tesla Full Self-Driving is “effectively” Level 4 autonomous driving or is still just a Level 2 driver-assist system. Yesterday, I shared a comment from a reader explaining that it’s actually Level 2++ now. I’ll come back to that in a ... [continued]

The post Elon Musk’s Missed Full Self-Driving Targets Are Even Wilder Than I Remembered appeared first on CleanTechnica.

2100 Transition Scenarios Need A Better Population Denominator

Michael Barnard — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 18:25:46 +0000

One of the easiest ways to get 2100 wrong is to carry the 20th-century population curve forward as if it still defines the future. The world went from about 2.5 billion people in 1950 to more than 8 billion today, and that expansion shaped modern assumptions about food, energy, cities, ... [continued]

The post 2100 Transition Scenarios Need A Better Population Denominator appeared first on CleanTechnica.

$7,000 for Rooftop Solar Permitting!? Time to Automate It

Zachary Shahan — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 16:29:11 +0000

According to an analysis from Environment America and Frontier Group, permitting requirements can add a whopping $7,000 to the cost of a rooftop solar power system. $7,000?! That’s a crazy amount of extra money to add onto a solar power system just to get a permit. The good news in ... [continued]

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Fraunhofer Wants Solar Cells On Vehicles — To Help The Grid

Zachary Shahan — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 03:26:39 +0000

The idea of putting solar panels on vehicles has been around for decades. I can’t say how many companies I’ve seen come and go that planned to produce and sell solar-powered cars. It’s just not the safest and most efficient place to deploy solar panels. However, I’ve never really seen ... [continued]

The post Fraunhofer Wants Solar Cells On Vehicles — To Help The Grid appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Is BYD Making A Better “Ferrari” Than Ferrari?

Larry Evans — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 23:02:19 +0000

The Denza Z was the big news this week from the 408th monthly MIIT regulatory filings. The sports car has a 500 kW motor on the front axle and two 340 kW motors on the rear axle for a total of 1180 kW (1582 horsepower). 0-100 km/h has previously been ... [continued]

The post Is BYD Making A Better “Ferrari” Than Ferrari? appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Clean Energy Investments Surge, But That Is Only Part Of The Story

Steve Hanley — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 21:04:25 +0000

Ingmar Rentzhog of We Don't Have Time wrote recently that investors have already begun the transition to clean energy.

The post Clean Energy Investments Surge, But That Is Only Part Of The Story appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Observations After Two Weeks with Tesla Hardware 4 & Full Self Driving V14 in My 2026 Tesla Model Y

Arthur Frederick (Fritz) Hasler — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 20:33:16 +0000

I lived through almost 7 years of numerous releases of Tesla’s Full Self Driving (FSD) as it progressed in my 2019 Model 3 using “Hardware 3” (HW3), finally reaching FSD V12. Elon Musk promised every year that all of us Tesla owners with HW3 would see Level 4 self-driving in ... [continued]

The post Observations After Two Weeks with Tesla Hardware 4 & Full Self Driving V14 in My 2026 Tesla Model Y appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Tesla’s Level 2++ Supervised Full Self-Driving Approved In Belgium

Zachary Shahan — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 18:16:01 +0000

Tesla has gotten “Full Self Driving (Supervised)” approved in another European country. Following the Netherlands, Lithuania, Estonia, and Denmark, the driver-assist system is now allowed to be deployed in Belgium. Well, Tesla still has to pass some tests with it, and then it can be rolled out to customers, but ... [continued]

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The Big ICE Meltdown — May’s China EV Sales Report

José Pontes — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 16:43:58 +0000

ICE model sales crash 39% in May High gas prices and a never ending wave of new models has allowed May to reach record EV market share, with plugins reaching a record 63%! However, while record market share was achieved in the past thanks to strong EV sales, this time, ... [continued]

The post The Big ICE Meltdown — May’s China EV Sales Report appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Aviation Fuel Demand Doesn’t Collapse. Cheap Kerosene Growth Does.

Michael Barnard — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 14:33:27 +0000

Aviation is one of the harder transition sectors to model well because it invites two bad shortcuts. One is to assume that flying keeps growing as it did in the cheap-kerosene era, with a cleaner molecule somehow dropped into the same demand curve. The other is to assume that decarbonization ... [continued]

The post Aviation Fuel Demand Doesn’t Collapse. Cheap Kerosene Growth Does. appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Most Efficient Solar Module in the World — New Record

Zachary Shahan — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 03:57:48 +0000

The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) is no stranger to solar power records, and it’s just set another one. Via its own III-V germanium solar PV module, the institute reached 34.4 percent solar module efficiency. The solar record march goes on. “The solar cells were developed by AZUR ... [continued]

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