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Germany's Bundesrat Calls for End of Internal Combustion Engine Powered Cars by 2030

posted by martyb on Thursday October 13 2016, @12:42AM   

Phoenix666 writes:

In Germany, the Bundestrat, or Upper House, has passed a resolution to ban the internal combustion engine (ICE) [Note] powered car by 2030. It’s a nice gesture from a body that is pretty much powerless and composed of non-elected delegates (compare it to the Canadian Senate or British House of Lords), but it’s influential. The Dutch and Norwegian governments are making similar plans, and the EU could follow.

A graphic from the article shows Germany gets one-third of its electricity from renewables now. Will weaning its energy and transportation sectors off fossil fuels confer an economic advantage?

[Note: story is in German. --Ed.]

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Original Submission

• Solar Impulse = publicity stunt Solar Impulse = publicity stunt (Score: 3, Insightful) by bradley13 on Thursday October 13 2016, @09:03AM

  by bradley13 (3053) on Thursday October 13 2016, @09:03AM (#413811) Homepage Journal

  Solar Impulse was a joke. The beast was barely capable of flying, because of all the weird compromises required. It required ideal weather conditions. At every stop, it required massive servicing en-route (including at least one total battery replacement). Really, it was just another Piccard publicity gig. I don't understand why sponsors are willing to fund these stunts.

  --
  Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.

  Parent

  Starting Score:	1		point
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  Insightful=1, Total=1
  Extra 'Insightful' Modifier		0
  Karma-Bonus Modifier		+1
  Total Score:		3

• Re:Solar Impulse = publicity stunt (Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Thursday October 13 2016, @10:56AM

  by Phoenix666 (552) on Thursday October 13 2016, @10:56AM (#413832) Journal

  Sure. But they did it. Now nobody can say, "Well, electricity might be all well and good for a passenger car, but it will NEVER work for an airplane."

  What remains is to devise a battery with enough energy density to replace jet fuel. In the meantime, they've already successfully flown jets on biofuel. Personally I'd prefer to fly everywhere in zeppelins, but then I'm steampunk that way.

  --
  Washington DC delenda est.

  Parent

• Re:Solar Impulse = publicity stunt (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 13 2016, @04:39PM

  by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 13 2016, @04:39PM (#413964)

  I don't understand why sponsors are willing to fund these stunts.

  You just said it yourself one sentence earler:

  Really, it was just another Piccard publicity gig.

  The whole point of sponsoring is publicity.

  Parent