French utility giant Engie has bought the electric vehicle charging network ChargePoint Services (CPS), marking a significant push into the growing market. London-based CPS owns the GeniePoint network, which has 900 public and workplace charging points with about 20,000 registered drivers. The deal brings a big upgrade to Engie’s network, which had 100 UK charging points and 75,000 worldwide. The purchase is thought to be worth up to £20m based on CPS’s size. Utilities, as well as oil and gas players, are increasingly interested in electric car charging as countries try to cut carbon emissions.
Times 16th June 2019 read more »
Faced with growing calls for action on the climate crisis, aerospace companies gathering for the Paris air show next week are turning their thoughts to a future run on electricity rather than fossil fuels. The scale of the challenge is considerable. The target for net zero carbon emissions by 2050, recommended by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and embraced by the UK this week, coincides with the expectation that the number of flights will double in the next 20 years. Aviation accounts for about 2% of total greenhouse gas emissions. But that share is expected to rise as demand grows in poorer countries to match developed nations such as the UK, where flying contributed 7% to overall greenhouse gas emissions in 2017. The aviation industry has been an emissions laggard compared with the car industry or power generation, but improvements in the power-to-weight ratio of batteries mean some forms of sustainable aviation for shorter trips may finally be coming into view. The industry will move towards hybrid and electric engines for regional travel (below 1,000 miles) much quicker than many think, according to a report published this week by analysts at investment bank UBS. They predict annual demand for about 550 hybrid planes, using a mixture of fossil fuel and electric power, between 2028 and 2040. This would create a $178bn (£140bn) industry over that time period.
Guardian 15th June 2019 read more »