Energy

BMW’s CEO Says Electric Motorcycles Aren’t Ready

BMW’s CEO Says Electric Motorcycles Aren’t Ready to Compete With Gas Ones “Not now, maybe later.” BMW Motorrad’s new CEO Markus Flasch, who recently took over from Markus Schramm has shelved the company’s full-size EV superbike, the Vision DC Roadster, as well as made some interesting comments about the future of electric motorcycles at BMW at the premiere of the R 20 Concept at Ville d’Este. “There’s a logical and an emotional side of the answer,” Flasch says, adding, “The logic side is when we looked at the facts and figures of the [Vision DC Roadster], it was pretty mature in its development. But it was just not competitive with something like the M 1000 RR by far.” “And then we looked at the way the business is going, as well as competitors, we have 77-percent of the total electric bike market [covered] with our CE 04 and CE 02 electric scooters. So why would I invest BMW’s money to build a motorbike to sneak into the remaining 23 percent?,” the CEO said, furthering, “There’s just no point in it. Not now, maybe later.” Flasch went even further, adding, “And then the emotional part is if you talk to riders, I did not find anyone who said ‘I would spend 30,000 Euros on an electric motorbike to go around the lake or up the mountain pass.’ No one. And for sure, nobody would say ‘I’m traveling to the North Cape through Africa.’” “Motorcycling is so much about freedom and independence that there is no point right now [for an EV].” That’s a bold and blunt statement from the CEO of one of the world’s foremost automotive company. While Toyota big boss got “CANCELLED” by Media and Wall Street investors for speaking the truth about Electric Vehicles and their futility, the […]

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How Much Oil Do Wind Turbines Use?

As the world seeks cleaner sources of electricity, renewable energy is heralded for not burning fossil fuels to produce energy. However, wind turbines contain moving parts and they require lubricants to operate at peak performance due to environmental and mechanical pressures. The amount of oil used by a wind turbine varies greatly depending on the size and type of turbine. A small turbine for powering the home only requires a very small amount of oil, whereas the largest offshore wind turbines regularly need topping up with large amounts of oil and other lubricants to keep them running efficiently. Proper maintenance including the use of oil ensures the reliability of cost-effective wind energy. As the fleet of wind turbines ages, many are entering a post-warranty period. This means that equipment repairs are becoming more costly for wind farm owners. Thus, proper maintenance including the use of oil to prevent equipment failure is critical to reduce costs and promote renewable energy production. Lubrication protects wind turbines from premature wear of many critical parts so they operate at maximum performance for greater productivity. Grease oil and grease are used in the gearbox, pitch gear, open gear, and yaw gear. Did you know every wind turbine contains 80 gallons of oil? At the moment, the average wind farm has 150 turbines. Each wind turbine requires 80 gallons of oil for lubrication, and this isn’t vegetable oil; this is a PAO synthetic oil based on crude… 12,000 gallons for one 150-turbine wind farm. Once a year, its oil must be replenished. To power a city the size of New York, it is estimated that about 3,800 turbines would be required… For just one city, that’s 304,000 gallons of refined oil. –Edward Rivis Wind Turbine Magazine and –Utility Smart * * *

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Ohio Pushes Back on California Plans

Just before the end of 2023, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed H.B. 201 into law. The focus of the bill is to; “Prohibit a state agency, county, or township from restricting the sale or use of a motor vehicle based on the energy source used to power the motor vehicle; to prohibit a state agency from adopting the California emissions standards for motor vehicles.” As you may remember, the Clean Air Act allows states to seek a waiver to enact emission standards outside of those set by the federal government. In 2022, California received a waiver allowing the state to establish guidelines requiring every new car and truck sold there to have zero emissions by 2035. This requirement has set off a debate in state capitals around the country. Some states seek to align with California, while others, like Ohio, are pushing back against California’s plans. ABATE of Ohio received the support of other groups in support of the bill, including the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and the Ohio Auto Dealers Association. Ed Schetter, Executive Director of ABATE of Ohio, testified in December, backing the bill. In his remarks, he said, “ABATE of Ohio is concerned with the push towards electric power and pressure to eliminate the internal combustion engine from the marketplace. This may leave many motorcyclists without options on how to power the motorcycles we ride. We also feel this may limit the availability of sales, parts, and service to the motorcyclists of Ohio. Many of these businesses are ones we’ve relied on for years.” After the hearing, lawmakers thanked ABATE of Ohio for their participation. Multiple legislators noted that ABATE of Ohio was the only “citizen-led” group involved in the hearing. Comments like that help reinforce the importance of engagement and participation by citizens in the legislative

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25 holiday Power Facts about energy and climate

If this year’s holiday discussions veer toward energy and climate issues, I’ve got you covered. Here are 25 facts that will make any honest person think twice about today’s anti-fossil-fuel narrative. As you sit down at the dinner table this holiday season, I expect many of you will find yourselves in conversations about energy and climate with friends and family who may have come to inaccurate conclusions, in part because they are missing a lot of the relevant facts. So, I’ve compiled 25 true, succinct, powerful facts about energy and and climate. Each “Power Fact” has significant implications and should make any honest person think twice about the anti-fossil-fuel narrative. Together these facts show that the world needs more, not less, fossil fuels for as many people as possible to be productive, prosperous, and safe from climate—a job that cannot be done by unreliable solar and wind. The 25 Power Facts are organized into 4 categories: · Fossil fuels make us far safer from climate. (4 facts) · Global fossil fuel use is increasing, and the energy-poor world needs even more to power life-saving machines. (5 facts) · The “green” movement catastrophizes the future climate side-effects of fossil fuels, which are completely masterable. (8 facts) · Unreliable solar and wind are not anywhere near able to replace fossil fuels. (8 facts) Fossil fuels make us far safer from climate. 1. Annual deaths from climate-related causes (extreme temperature, drought, flood, storms, wildfires) have declined 98% over the last 100 years, even as CO2 levels have risen.¹ 2. Even though Earth has gotten 1°C warmer in the last century, deaths from cold outnumber deaths from heat by 5-15x. Cold is more dangerous than heat on every continent. Even in especially hot countries such as India, cold-related deaths significantly exceed heat-related deaths.² 3.

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Suzuki To Premiere Its First Hydrogen Test Bike

Suzuki To Premiere Its First Hydrogen Test Bike At 2023 Japan Mobility Show The Suzuki Hydrogen Burgman is among several world premiere vehicles from the house of Hamamatsu. Suzuki has preferred the 2023 Japan Mobility Show as the event to unveil its first-ever hydrogen-powered two-wheeler for the world. The company has mentioned it a test vehicle, so it is not a concept. Suzuki is currently researching hydrogen engine development and has yet to put it into consumer focused production. The exhibit will include a test vehicle using a Burgman 400 ABS outfitted with a 70 megapascal (MPa) hydrogen tank and a corresponding engine. Suzuki will also host panels and show videos to illustrate its progress in hydrogen engine development. The 2023 Japan Mobility Show is scheduled to take place between October 28 and November 5, 2023 in Tokyo. * * * * * * * * * * * * Stay updated, stay ahead of the curve. Click and Sign up for the Weekly Newsletter from Bikernet Blog for free.

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Serious Hope by Bandit

Rogue, Kirk Willard and I and thousands of other guys have been fighting for motorcyclists’ rights for decades. We continue to fight, but lots of brothers and sisters don’t pay attention. By now most folks are aware of the green movement and what it’s doing to the Fossil Fuel industry, hell even the meat industry. Their problem and their worst fear is that they are wrong. So, what did they do? They called anyone who didn’t agree a denier. We’re grubby bikers, we deny everything and fuck you, if you don’t like it. So let’s cut to the chase. They are wrong and the movement to point out how wrong is growing. I’ve been pushing and looking for solutions for over a decade. Recently, with the Motorcycle Riders Foundation at my back I came up with a congressional resolution. I was and is a fight for every kid on the planet, who needs to know the truth and who should know we are living in the Best off Times, not the worst. This last week became incredibly significant. I can’t say it loud enough. Throughout this year we have tried to find someone who would shove our resolution in front of Congress and force a hearing. We finally found support with Senator Rounds office in South Dakota. Week before last we faced a major setback. Montana lost a court case. It could impact the entire energy industry in Montana and send a very negative message across the country. The problem with this entire effort is not the facts, the science or the truth, it’s guts. The world and politicians on both sides of the isle are being bullied and paid off. No one wants to step up and say, “Sorry, but we’re not doomed.” So, what happened in the last

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Yamaha Motor First to Use Green Aluminum in Japanese Motorcycles

Will gradually adopt low-carbon aluminum in the drive toward carbon-neutral materials Yamaha Motor announced today that it has reached an agreement with an aluminum ingot supplier for the procurement of green aluminum, and began using it as a raw material for parts in Yamaha motorcycles in February 2023. This is the first time for green aluminum to be used in Japanese motorcycles and Yamaha Motor plans to gradually expand its usage in models going forward. “Green aluminum” is aluminum that is refined using renewable energy sources to emit around 60% less CO2 in its manufacture compared to traditionally refined aluminum. Of course, the percentage of less emission by renewable energy depends per manufacturer. Aluminum parts account for 12% to 31%. of the total vehicle weight of a motorcycle, so adopting green aluminum is one effective approach for reducing CO2 emissions from the raw material manufacturing part of a product’s life cycle (falls under Scope 3 Category 1 emissions for supply chains). Through the development of its engineering and production technologies and expertise, Yamaha Motor has actively pushed the use of recycled aluminum, which now comprises some 80% of Yamaha Motor’s aluminum usage. This introduction of green aluminum is meant to complement this and will be employed for parts that still cannot be manufactured with recycled materials. As a first step, Yamaha Motor will utilize green aluminum for certain parts in its large-displacement and off-road competition motorcycles, and Yamaha Motor plans to expand the number of models using the material in the future as available supply volumes allow. In line with the Yamaha Motor Group Environmental Plan 2050, the company is aiming to achieve carbon neutrality throughout all of its business activities—including its entire supply chain—by 2050. To realize this, Yamaha Motor has set a goal of switching to 100% sustainable

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Moto X Phenomenon Axell “Slay” Hodges on UNLEASHED Podcast

Monster Energy’s UNLEASHED Podcast Welcomes Moto X Phenomenon Axell “Slay” Hodges for Episode 45 Broadcast Live on Twitch, Episode 45 of Sports Podcast Interviews 12-Time X Games Medalist / Episode Now Available for Streaming on Major Podcast Platforms Including YouTube and Spotify CORONA, California – November 22, 2022 – Get inside the mind of the most creative and progressive motocross athlete on the planet! Monster Energy is proud to welcome freestyle motocross innovator and 12-time X Games medalist Axell Hodges from Encinitas, California on Episode 45 of the sports and pop culture podcast UNLEASHED with The Dingo and Danny. Recorded inside Monster Energy headquarters in Corona, California, the special episode was initially broadcast live on the Twitch platform on November 18th. As of today, fans can tune in to the official recording of Episode 45 of UNLEASHED on all major platforms, including Spotify, iTunes, and YouTube. Episode 45 also features special guest Ash “Dirt Shark” Hodges, Axell’s brother and creative collaborator, as well as their father, Phillip Hodges. In the episode, the 26-year-old athlete shares his creative process behind record-setting jumps and boundary-breaking tricks. “I always snowboarded and skated a bit. I had a lot of friends who skated and were better than me and had good style. I never really had that in skateboarding, so that’s where I kind of wanted to be a skater on my dirt bike and flow and have good style. So, skating and all that helped a lot on how I ride my dirt bike,” said Hodges on UNLEASHED. Axell Hodges is a motocross rider with no need for introductions. Despite his young age, Hodges already holds twelve X Games medals, including four gold. The prodigy not only dominates competitions such as Best Whip and High Air but raises the bar with innovative freestyle

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Debate: 20 myths about fossil fuels, refuted

In Fossil Future I refute literally hundreds of myths about fossil fuels. Here are 20 myths that 11,000,000 people heard on Joe Rogan’s podcast this year from Andrew Dessler, a climate scientist/activist who misrepresented himself as an energy expert. Tonight Andrew Dessler will be debating physicist Steve Koonin, author of Unsettled, whom Dessler unconscionably smeared on Joe Rogan as akin to a tobacco lobbyist. The debate will be live in NYC and streamed. Order your tickets: Click Here Myth 1: We can rapidly reduce fossil fuels at very low cost. Truth: Fossil fuels are a uniquely cost-effective form of energy, which is why they are 80% of global energy and still growing. Rapidly reducing fossil fuels, in a world that needs far more energy, is catastrophic.¹ Myth 2: Solar and wind are cheap. Truth: Solar and wind are unreliable, parasitical sources of energy that add costs to the grid. Claims of “cheapness” are based on ignoring the full costs of solar + wind—above all the cost of a reliable grid that gives them 24/7 life support.² Myth 3: Solar/wind is cheaper than fossil fuels because Lazard’s “Levelized Cost of Electricity” (LCOE) is lower for solar/wind. Truth: LCOE, by Lazard’s own admission, doesn’t include many costs of solar/wind—above all the cost of a reliable grid needed for 24/7 life support.³ Myth 4: Solar and wind are “winning in the marketplace,” outcompeting fossil fuels and nuclear with superior economics. Truth: Unreliable, parasitical solar and wind are only “winning” when given massive preferences—mandates, subsidies, and no penalty for unreliability.⁴ Myth 5: Renewable energy is projected to exceed fossil fuel energy by 2026. Truth: This projection is of electricity (20% of energy) not all energy—and just refers to when sunlight and wind are at their peak, not most of the time. And it depends

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