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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

The Trump Administration Helped a Solar Farm

In the name of “energy dominance,” no less.

Solar panels.
Heatmap Illustration/Getty Images

The Trump administration just did something surprising: It paved the way for a transmission line to a solar energy project.

On Friday, the Bureau of Land Management approved the Gen-Tie transmission line and associated facilities for the Sapphire Solar project, a solar farm sited on private lands in Riverside County, California, that will provide an estimated 117 megawatts to the Southern California Public Power Authority.

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Green
Sparks

These 21 House Republicans Want to Preserve Energy Tax Credits

For those keeping score, that’s three more than wanted to preserve them last year.

The Capitol.
Heatmap Illustration/Getty Images

Those who drew hope from the letter 18 House Republicans sent to Speaker Mike Johnson last August calling for the preservation of energy tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act must be jubilant this morning. On Sunday, 21 House Republicans sent a similar letter to House Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith. Those with sharp eyes will have noticed: That’s three more people than signed the letter last time, indicating that this is a coalition with teeth.

As Heatmap reported in the aftermath of November’s election, four of the original signatories were out of a job as of January, meaning that the new letter features a total of seven new recruits. So who are they?

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Green
Sparks

The Country’s Largest Power Markets Are Getting More Gas

Three companies are joining forces to add at least a gigawatt of new generation by 2029. The question is whether they can actually do it.

Natural gas pipelines.
Heatmap Illustration/Getty Images

Two of the biggest electricity markets in the country — the 13-state PJM Interconnection, which spans the Mid-Atlantic and the Midwest, and ERCOT, which covers nearly all of Texas — want more natural gas. Both are projecting immense increases in electricity demand thanks to data centers and electrification. And both have had bouts of market weirdness and dysfunction, with ERCOT experiencing spiky prices and even blackouts during extreme weather and PJM making enormous payouts largely to gas and coal operators to lock in their “capacity,” i.e. their ability to provide power when most needed.

Now a trio of companies, including the independent power producer NRG, the turbine manufacturer GE Vernova, and a subsidiary of the construction firm Kiewit Corporation, are teaming up with a plan to bring gas-powered plants to PJM and ERCOT, the companies announced today.

The three companies said that the new joint venture “will work to advance four projects totaling over 5 gigawatts” of natural gas combined cycle plants to the two power markets, with over a gigawatt coming by 2029. The companies said that they could eventually build 10 to 15 gigawatts “and expand to other areas across the U.S.”

So far, PJM and Texas’ call for new gas has been more widely heard than answered. The power producer Calpine said last year that it would look into developing more gas in PJM, but actual investment announcements have been scarce, although at least one gas plant scheduled to close has said it would stay open.

So far, across the country, planned new additions to the grid are still overwhelmingly solar and battery storage, according to the Energy Information Administration, whose data shows some 63 gigawatts of planned capacity scheduled to be added this year, with more than half being solar and over 80% being storage.

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