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Sparks

It Was a Big Week for Weird Little EVs

Think the Cybertruck is strange? The Morgan XP-1 would like a word.

Fiat and Morgan EVs.
Heatmap Illustration/Morgan Motor Company, Stellantis

The Americanization of electric cars is in full swing, with every U.S. automaker doing what it does best: building ever larger, heavier, and more spacious vehicles. So it's refreshing to see Stellantis, the parent company of Fiat, bringing its first new EV to the States in the form of a reborn 500e.

Fiat 500eFiat

The 500e was beloved when it first landed a decade ago, providing a quick, ultra-compact hatchback that fit the needs of most city and suburban drivers. And given there weren't exactly a lot of small, inexpensive EV options at the time (and incentives were plentiful), you still see them on the road today.

For the new model, Fiat addressed this week some of the issues of its predecessor, with a boost in both power and range thanks to a 42 kWh battery pack that wrings out 149 miles on a charge. The $34,000 price tag may not make it the bargain it used to be, particularly compared to more spacious and long-range options like the Tesla Model 3, which, unlike the 500e, is also eligible for a federal tax credit. But Fiat includes a free Level 2 home charger in the deal, and its 3,000-pound weight and diminutive size make a compelling case for the average commuter.

Plus, when it’s trundling along at low speeds, the 500e's Acoustic Vehicle Alert System (that low hum you hear that's required on EVs) plays a little Italian concerto, "The Sound of 500."

If that's not enough personality for you, one of the most storied British sports car brands, Morgan, unveiled Wednesday an electric update to its iconic three-wheeler. With a 33kWh battery pack mounted in the front and an electric motor putting out 134 horsepower to the rear wheel — singular — the XP-1 is a glimpse of the ultimate electric urban runabout.

Meet XP-1, Morgan's Electric Experimental Prototypeyoutu.be

Completely developed in house by Morgan, it's the company's first serious foray into electric motoring, with an aim to get about 100 miles on a charge. At just over 1,500 pounds, the XP-1 is a scant 130 pounds heavier than its internal combustion counterpart, providing the kind of performance and raw driving experience Morgan is known for. Granted, the lack of a roof limits its four-season functionality, but no one has ever accused a Morgan of being sensible.

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Sparks

This Natural Gas Plant Is a Poster Child for America’s Grid Weirdness

Elgin Energy Center is back from the dead.

A gas plant.
Heatmap Illustration/Getty Images

At least one natural gas plant in America’s biggest energy market that was scheduled to shut down is staying open. Elgin Energy Center, an approximately 500 megawatt plant in Illinois approximately 40 miles northwest of downtown Chicago was scheduled to shut down next June, according to filings with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and officials from PJM Interconnection, the country’s largest regional transmission organization, which governs the relevant portion of the U.S. grid. Elgin’s parent company “no longer intends to deactivate and retire all four units ... at the Elgin Energy Center,” according to a letter dated September 4 and posted to PJM’s website Wednesday.

The Illinois plant is something of a poster child for PJM’s past few years. In 2022, it was one of many natural gas plants to shut down during Winter Storm Elliott as the natural gas distribution seized up. Its then-parent company, Lincoln Power — owned by Cogentrix, the Carlyle Group’s vehicle for its power business — filed for bankruptcy the following year, after PJM assessed almost $40 million in penalties for failing to operate during the storm. In June, a bankruptcy court approved the acquisition of the Elgin plant, along with one other, by Middle River Power, a generation business backed by Avenue Capital, a $12 billion investment firm, in a deal that was closed in December.

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Trump’s Odd Attack on German Energy Policy

What’s a “normal energy plant”?

Donald Trump.
Heatmap Illustration/Getty Images

In the closing minutes of the first presidential debate tonight, Donald Trump’s attacks on Kamala Harris took an odd, highly specific, and highly Teutonic turn. It might not have made sense to many viewers, but it fit into the overall debate’s unusually substantive focus on energy policy.

“You believe in things that the American people don’t believe in,” he said, addressing Harris. “You believe in things like, we’re not gonna frack. We’re not gonna take fossil fuel. We’re not gonna do — things that are going to make this country strong, whether you like it or not.”

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Sparks

What Would Trump Do About Climate Change? Something About the Mayor of Moscow’s Wife.

Hunter Biden also made an appearance in Trump’s answer to the debate’s one climate question.

Donald Trump.
Heatmap Illustration/Getty Images

Well, it happened — over an hour into the debate, but it happened: the presidential candidates were asked directly about climate change. ABC News anchor Linsey Davis put the question to Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, and their respective answers were both surprising and totally not.

Harris responded to the question by laying out the successes of Biden’s energy policy and in particular, the Inflation Reduction Act (though she didn’tmention it by name). “I am proud that as vice president, over the last four years, we have invested a trillion dollars in a clean energy economy,” Harris noted.

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