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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

One Reason Trump Wants Greenland: Critical Minerals

The island is home to one of the richest rare earth deposits in the world.

Donald Trump.
Heatmap Illustration/Getty Images

A top aide to incoming President Donald Trump is claiming the president-elect wants the U.S. to acquire Greenland to acquire more rare minerals.

“This is about critical minerals. This is about natural resources,” Trump’s soon-to-be national security advisor Michael Waltz told Fox News host Jesse Watters Thursday night, adding: “You can call it Monroe Doctrine 2.0, but it’s all part of the America First agenda.”

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An Insurance Startup Faces a Major Test in Los Angeles

Kettle offers parametric insurance and says that it can cover just about any home — as long as the owner can afford the premium.

Los Angeles fire destruction.
Heatmap Illustration/Getty Images

Los Angeles is on fire, and it’s possible that much of the city could burn to the ground. This would be a disaster for California’s already wobbly home insurance market and the residents who rely on it. Kettle Insurance, a fintech startup focused on wildfire insurance for Californians, thinks that it can offer a better solution.

The company, founded in 2020, has thousands of customers across California, and L.A. County is its largest market. These huge fires will, in some sense, “be a good test, not just for the industry, but for the Kettle model,” Brian Espie, the company’s chief underwriting officer, told me. What it’s offering is known as “parametric” insurance and reinsurance (essentially insurance for the insurers themselves.) While traditional insurance claims can take years to fully resolve — as some victims of the devastating 2018 Camp Fire know all too well — Kettle gives policyholders 60 days to submit a notice of loss, after which the company has 15 days to validate the claim and issue payment. There is no deductible.

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Sparks

What the L.A. Fires Are Doing to the City’s Air

The Santa Ana winds are carrying some of the smoke out to sea.

Los Angeles during wildfires.
Heatmap Illustration/Getty Images

Wildfires have been raging across Los Angeles County since Tuesday morning, but only in the past 24 hours or so has the city’s air quality begun to suffer.

That’s because of the classic path of the Santa Ana winds, Alistair Hayden, a public health professor at Cornell who studies how wildfire smoke affects human health, told me. “Yesterday, it looked like the plumes [from the Palisades fire] were all blowing out to sea, which I think makes sense with the Santa Ana wind patterns blowing to the southwest,” Hayden said.

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