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Electric Vehicle Sales in US Hit the Accelerator Pedal

Union of Concerned Scientists

With more electric vehicle choices than ever, EV sales in the US are hitting new heights. In just the first half of 2023, over 670,000 EVs were sold with over 80 percent of those fully-electric battery electric vehicles (BEVs ). Finally, let’s look at driving an electric SUV in Idaho.

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Where Do Electric Trucks Charge?

Union of Concerned Scientists

We are about to enter the era of the electric truck. Sure, there are already a few thousand electric trucks and buses on US roads already. There has been, understandably, some anxiety about where all of these trucks will charge and how the electric grid will serve that new electrical load.

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Ask a Scientist: It’s Getting Easier for US Car Owners to Go Electric

Union of Concerned Scientists

Since the beginning of 2022, electric vehicle sales in the United States have been downright electrifying. Last year, US drivers bought more than 800,000 new electric vehicles (EVs), 65 percent more than in 2021, even as overall car sales declined. billion to help California drivers switch from gasoline to electricity.

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Income-Based Electric Bills: Fact and Fiction

Legal Planet

Under new legislation, California is moving to a novel system that includes income-based fixed charges for electricity. Public utility commissions are tasked with designing retail electricity rates that allow utilities to cover their costs and ensure that customers receive reliable and affordable electricity service.

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Extreme Heat Makes Electricity More Expensive, More Polluting, and Less Reliable

Union of Concerned Scientists

But extreme heat also hits our electricity system in ways that make it more expensive, more polluting, and less reliable. Extreme heat means more expensive electricity Extreme heat can sharply increase electricity consumption as people turn up their air conditioners for relief. Here’s how. That’s the supply part.

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In California, Car Buyers Are Choosing Electricity Over Gasoline in Record Numbers

Union of Concerned Scientists

The latest new car sales numbers are in, and California has hit a new milestone on the path to electrification: 1 in 4 new cars sold in California in the second quarter of 2023 were plug-in electric cars and trucks. Despite the sales, this affordable electric option is being discontinued.

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How Do Electric Grid Operators Warn Us About Extreme Heat? 

Union of Concerned Scientists

Electricity grid operators often keep a wary eye towards the thermometer, particularly during the summertime danger season , as daily temperatures soar above 90 degree Fahrenheit and heat waves spread around the country. Electricity demand skyrockets with high temperature and humidity, sometimes outstripping available generation supply.