China to Add 10,000 More EV Battery Swapping Stations

Above:The CATL & Sinopec Industrial & Capital Cooperation Framework Agreement Signing Ceremony.

Guess how many gas stations there are in the US.

Between 150,000 and 200,000, depending on who you ask. Now imagine 10,000 of those gas stations adding **EV battery swapping facilities!** Just drop off your spent battery and plug in a fresh one. It was probably charged overnight, at the least expensive, cleanest time for electricity, too.

I don't mean to be all rah-rah China again, but that's what was just announced in a partnership between two big companies in China, EV battery maker CATL and Sinopec (the China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation).

They're going to install EV battery swap stations in 10,000 gas stations across the country. Tina Casey covered it this morning on CleanTechnica.

In our research on the hottest Circularity companies of Q1 2025, 30% of the ones with the most momentum (headcount and press coverage) are dedicated to recycling batteries.

And now, our daily summaries of this weekend's selected updates from around the world of green tech and sustainability.

Today's Updates

Table of Contents

• Agriculture (4 stories) - CGIAR Science Week focuses on food security; Queensland prawn and barramundi farms face sea level threats; Orange County recycles wastewater; Wegovy impacts meat consumption.

  
  

• Carbon (3 stories) - Woodside CEO on Carbon Capture Costs; Scientists Explore Sea Ice Thickening & Marine Cloud Brightening; EU Carbon Emissions Down 50% (Since 2005).

  
  

• Ecosystems (13 stories) - Floods devastate US South/Midwest, Indonesia peatlands; Tikonel aids Guatemala; American Forests restores Rio Grande; Gopher tortoises thrive; Wildlife crossing over LA 101; Pettorano "bear-smart"; Tasmanian salmon threatens Maugean skate; Teen aids Carnaby's cockatoos; Australia extinction crisis; CITES data on traded wildcats; Queen bee longevity research; Tardigrade is Invertebrate of the Year.

  
  

• Efficiency (1 story) - Massachusetts pilot program completes solar, heat pump, and battery installations for low-income households.

  
  

• Finance (4 stories) - Waymo, Tesla volatility; product-level carbon data demand; Q1 2025 climate tech investments reach $31B.

  
  

• Grid (8 stories) - Australia's $2.3B residential battery subsidy, data centers' adoption of SMRs, BESS fire safety advancements (LFP, modular designs), ChargeScape's EV grid integration (BMW, Ford, Honda, Nissan), AceEnergy's NSW battery project environmental review, DOE's AI data center site selection, Grid Edge Innovation Forum (AI), and hydrogen's role in energy security.

  
  

• Indigenous (3 stories) - Liberian community land rights, Māori psilocybin trial, Parrtjima festival.

  
  

• Industry (8 stories) - Sparxell funding & deals; Honda/Sierra Space ISS partnership; Manufacturing scalability focus; Gas stove benzene risk; Domestic grid component priority; Lyten tariff impact; AI research & learning tools.

  
  

• Policy (27 stories) - Antarctic biosecurity, Australian policy challenges (climate, housing), EPA science, UN human rights defenders, Australian home battery rebate ($4995), Trump policies, IMO shipping emissions, Central Asia heatwave, disinformation, wind/solar opposition, Australian environmental support, tariffs, Climate Generation, Yale Climate Opinion Maps, Osaka disaster prevention, pangolin trafficking arrest (Nigeria/China), flood risk maps (UK), gas peaking generators, AI/government collaboration, TVA gas pipeline, South Carolina energy bill, Enbridge Line 5 pipeline, retaliatory tariffs, thalamus study.

  
  

• Renewables (11 stories) - Grenada's 15 MW solar farm, lunar perovskite cells, Potentia Energy, JinkoSolar, Squadron Energy's Clarke Creek Wind Farm, Aetherflux's space solar, Celtic Sea floating wind, Inverleigh wind farm (GE Vernova), Tesla solar decline, Hydro-Québec export halt.

  
  

• Transport (4 stories) - Battery-electric trucks favored over hydrogen (France, Germany); Waymo tested against Tesla FSD; UK EV rule changes negligible; "Sky Daddy" novel explores climate themes.

Agriculture

CGIAR Science Week focuses on food security; Queensland prawn and barramundi farms face sea level threats; Orange County recycles wastewater; Wegovy impacts meat consumption.

• Science Week 2025 is Now (CGIAR) - The inaugural CGIAR Science Week in Nairobi convenes global leaders to address food security and agricultural challenges through science and innovation.

• 98% of Queensland prawn areas at risk of inundation by rising seas this century (TheConversation) - Rising sea levels threaten 98% of Queensland's prawn farming areas by 2100, potentially causing A$127.6 million in annual losses, with barramundi farms also at risk.

• Recycled water helps a California community adapt to worsening droughts (Yale Climate Connections) - Orange County, California, combats drought by recycling 130 million gallons of wastewater daily, purifying it for drinking and replenishing aquifers.

• Guest article: Will Big Pharma eat Big Meat’s lunch? My year on Wegovy (AgFundNews) - Weight-loss drug Wegovy's growing popularity leads to 15-25% reduced food consumption and changing dietary preferences, potentially threatening meat industry's future market share.

Carbon

Woodside CEO on Carbon Capture Costs; Scientists Explore Sea Ice Thickening & Marine Cloud Brightening; EU Carbon Emissions Down 50% (Since 2005).

• The great carbon capture con: Too expensive, even for Woodside (RenewEconomy) - Woodside's CEO admits carbon capture is too expensive, undermining its viability as a climate solution and exposing it as a delaying tactic.

• We passed the 1.5C climate threshhold. We must now explore extreme options | Sir David King (The Guardian) - With global temperatures exceeding 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, scientists must urgently and transparently explore "extreme options" like thickening sea ice and brightening marine clouds alongside emissions reductions.

• EU Cuts Emissions in Key Carbon Intensive Sectors in Half Since 2005 (ESGToday) - EU's carbon-intensive sectors achieve 50% emissions reduction since 2005, with power sector leading decline through renewable energy transition.

Ecosystems

Floods devastate US South/Midwest, Indonesia peatlands; Tikonel aids Guatemala; American Forests restores Rio Grande; Gopher tortoises thrive; Wildlife crossing over LA 101; Pettorano "bear-smart"; Tasmanian salmon threatens Maugean skate; Teen aids Carnaby's cockatoos; Australia extinction crisis; CITES data on traded wildcats; Queen bee longevity research; Tardigrade is Invertebrate of the Year.

• Days of severe storms leave 18 dead as rising rivers threaten US south and midwest (The Guardian) - Severe storms and rising rivers kill 18 across US South and Midwest, forcing evacuations and threatening communities with record-breaking rainfall and floods.

• ENGLISH – Asociación Tikonel (Equator Initiative) - Asociación Tikonel promotes sustainable resource management and community-led businesses in Guatemala, impacting 6,102 hectares and 100 families.

• Indonesia’s peatlands face growing flood risks amid widespread degradation (Mongabay) - Nearly half of Indonesia's peatlands face severe flood risks due to widespread degradation from industrial exploitation, affecting 6 million hectares and threatening coastal communities.

• The Rio Grande Valley was once covered in forest. One man is trying to bring it back. (Grist) - American Forests is working to restore the Rio Grande Valley's lost thorn forest, aiming to boost climate resilience and biodiversity through community-based projects.

• Gopher tortoises find new home on Florida coast after astonishing journey to flee hurricane (The Guardian) - Dozens of gopher tortoises survive 2-mile hurricane-driven sea crossing to establish thriving new colony with 84 burrows at Florida's Fort de Soto park.

• ‘Even a freeway is redeemable’: world’s largest wildlife crossing takes shape in Los Angeles (The Guardian) - World's largest wildlife crossing being built over Los Angeles' 101 freeway with engineered soil and 5,000 native plants to reconnect fragmented Santa Monica mountain ecosystems.

• ‘We made everything bear-proof’: the Italian village that learned to love its bears (The Guardian) - Italian mountain village Pettorano sul Gizio reverses population decline by becoming Italy's first "bear-smart" community, successfully coexisting with endangered Marsican bears through protective measures and eco-tourism.

• Is eating farmed salmon worth snuffing out 40m years of Tasmanian evolution? | Tim Flannery (The Guardian) - Tasmanian salmon farming threatens the extinction of ancient marine species like the Maugean skate, relics from Gondwana, highlighting the conflict between industry and biodiversity.

• Endangered Carnaby’s black cockatoos, and the teenager building nests for them – video (The Guardian) - An Australian teenager is building nests to help the endangered Carnaby's black cockatoos, whose population has drastically declined.

• Australia is in an extinction crisis – why isn’t it an issue at this election? (The Guardian) - Australia faces critical extinction crisis with over 2,200 threatened species while environmental protection remains low political priority despite 96% public support for increased action.

• What do CITES data tell us about the legal wildcat trade? (Mongabay) - CITES data analysis reveals that lions, leopards, bobcats, Canada lynx, and tigers are the most legally traded wildcat species, driven by demand for body parts and live animals.

• Scientists target queen bees in search of secret to longer life (The Guardian) - Scientists study queen bee biology to unlock potential human longevity treatments in £800m UK research initiative.

• It’s heroic, hardy and less than a millimetre long: meet the 2025 invertebrate of the year | Patrick Barkham (The Guardian) - Readers chose the microscopic, resilient Milnesium tardigradum (tardigrade or "water bear"), an animal that has survived multiple extinctions, as the 2025 Invertebrate of the Year.

Efficiency

Massachusetts pilot program completes solar, heat pump, and battery installations for low-income households.

• Massachusetts home-electrification pilot could offer a national model (Canary Media) - Massachusetts pilot program providing integrated solar, heat pumps, and batteries to low-income households completes installations, offering potential nationwide model for affordable home electrification.

Finance

Waymo, Tesla volatility; product-level carbon data demand; Q1 2025 climate tech investments reach $31B.

• Don't panic (Keep Cool) - Despite market volatility, Waymo's autonomous electric mobility ascendance and shifts in commodity markets, reducing expenses and diversifying income remain key for individuals.

• Carbon data & bankability: Why financial institutions are getting serious about CO₂ intelligence (Ecochain) - Financial institutions increasingly demand product-level carbon data to assess risks, opportunities, and impact in investment decisions.

• 🌎 Q1 2025 roundup: top deals, exits, and new funds (CTVC) - Q1 2025 saw energy deals leading climate tech investments, strategic acquisitions dominating exits, and over $31 billion raised in new climate-focused funds.

• Tesla Proves Being A Stock Analyst Is Easy, Being A Good Stock Analyst Is Hard (CleanTechnica) - Tesla's stock volatility and brand crisis, exacerbated by Elon Musk's actions and external factors like tariffs, have led analysts to question its future, despite some maintaining a positive outlook.

Grid

Australia's $2.3B residential battery subsidy, data centers' adoption of SMRs, BESS fire safety advancements (LFP, modular designs), ChargeScape's EV grid integration (BMW, Ford, Honda, Nissan), AceEnergy's NSW battery project environmental review, DOE's AI data center site selection, Grid Edge Innovation Forum (AI), and hydrogen's role in energy security.

• Australia’s Residential Batteries Plan Will Lower Utility Costs For Its Citizens (CleanTechnica) - Australia launches $2.3B residential battery subsidy program aiming for 1 million installations by 2030, promising 90% reduction in household utility bills.

• The future of computing is urban, modular, and nuclear (Latitude Media) - Data centers' increasing urban presence and energy demands are driving the adoption of small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs), modular designs, and adaptive reuse strategies for sustainable, scalable, and resilient power.

• Sparking change after Moss Landing: How BESS fire safety is evolving (Utility Dive) - Battery energy storage system (BESS) fire safety is evolving with safer battery chemistries like LFP, modular designs, and advanced monitoring systems following incidents like the Moss Landing fire.

• ChargeScape and the future of energy management (Utility Dive) - ChargeScape, a joint venture of BMW, Ford, Honda, and Nissan, offers utilities a vehicle-grid integration platform for EV load management, peak reduction, and grid resilience through OEM partnerships.

• Giant four hour battery project in New England told to join queue for federal approval (RenewEconomy) - AceEnergy's 400MW/1760MWh battery project in New South Wales faces federal environmental review over threatened species impact on 10.5 hectares of native habitat.

• DOE Tags 16 Federal Sites for AI Data Centers (Energy Central) - The DOE is seeking input on using 16 federal sites, including national labs, for AI data centers with co-located energy infrastructure, aiming for operational centers by 2027.

• Join us at the Grid Edge Innovation Forum at DTECH Data Center & AI - May 27 (Advanced Energy United) - The Grid Edge Innovation Forum on May 27 in San Jose will explore AI's role in enhancing the energy grid with industry leaders and solution providers.

• H2 Reality Check (Energy Central) - A report emphasizes diversifying energy sources and prioritizing hydrogen in sectors lacking alternatives to enhance energy security amid geopolitical shifts.

Indigenous

Liberian community land rights, Māori psilocybin trial, Parrtjima festival.

• ENGLISH – Kpanyan Community CLDMC (Equator Initiative) - Liberian community group pioneers customary land ownership rights, protecting 40,000 hectares of forest while implementing sustainable agriculture and inspiring regional conservation efforts.

• How Māori People Are Reclaiming Psychedelic Mushroom Medicine (Atmos) - Māori-led clinical trial in New Zealand combines traditional knowledge with psilocybin therapy to combat addiction and mental health issues in Indigenous communities.

• Parrtjima, a festival in light – in pictures (The Guardian) - Alice Springs' Parrtjima festival showcases Indigenous culture through large-scale light installations and interactive art displays in 10-night celebration.

Industry

Sparxell funding & deals; Honda/Sierra Space ISS partnership; Manufacturing scalability focus; Gas stove benzene risk; Domestic grid component priority; Lyten tariff impact; AI research & learning tools.

• Investor Newsletter 2025-Q1 (Sparxell) - Sparxell secured €2M in EU funding, signed manufacturing agreements, and is launching commercial offerings in fashion and cosmetics, targeting ton-scale production and $1M in revenue.

• Sierra Space Teams with Honda and Tec-Masters to Advance Energy Solutions in Space (Sierra Space) - Honda and Sierra Space partner to test water electrolysis system on ISS for developing lunar renewable energy systems using Dream Chaser spaceplane.

• Innovation Isn’t Enough: Why Battery Tech Needs to Be Built for Scale from Day One (Addionics) - Battery technology expert argues startups must prioritize scalable manufacturing capabilities from inception, not just focus on innovation, to succeed in mass production.

• Natural Gas Is Linked With Cancer — Not Wind Power (CleanTechnica) - Stanford research shows gas stoves emit cancer-causing benzene at levels exceeding secondhand smoke, while wind turbines have no proven cancer link.

• The undeniable case for American-made utility supply chains (Utility Dive) - US utilities urged to prioritize domestic manufacturing of grid components amid rising cybersecurity threats and supply chain vulnerabilities.

• Even Domestic Battery Makers Are Feeling the Pain of Trump’s Tariffs (Heatmap News) - US battery maker Lyten, despite sourcing 80% of components domestically, faces scaling challenges from Trump's construction material tariffs affecting factory buildout costs.

• AI for research: the ultimate guide to choosing the right tool (Nature) - AI tools are streamlining research by assisting with literature reviews, hypothesis creation, statistical analysis, and code generation, enhancing efficiency and understanding for academics.

• New grant focuses on AI and math (Western Today) - WWU's Hanxiang Du received a grant to research how AI tools can enhance math learning and student performance using the Math Nation platform.

Policy

Antarctic biosecurity, Australian policy challenges (climate, housing), EPA science, UN human rights defenders, Australian home battery rebate ($4995), Trump policies, IMO shipping emissions, Central Asia heatwave, disinformation, wind/solar opposition, Australian environmental support, tariffs, Climate Generation, Yale Climate Opinion Maps, Osaka disaster prevention, pangolin trafficking arrest (Nigeria/China), flood risk maps (UK), gas peaking generators, AI/government collaboration, TVA gas pipeline, South Carolina energy bill, Enbridge Line 5 pipeline, retaliatory tariffs, thalamus study.

• Biosecurity policies can be annoying – but a century of Antarctic data shows they work (The Conversation) - Century-long Antarctic data analysis proves biosecurity policies effectively reduce invasive species despite rising visitor numbers, with sub-Antarctic islands showing better results than the continent.

• Reform clock is ticking – the big policy challenges the next government must urgently address (The Conversation) - Australia's next government faces five urgent policy challenges including climate action, housing affordability, productivity growth, aging population management, and tax reform by 2025.

• EPA must use the best available science − by law − but what does that mean? (TheConversation) - The EPA is legally obligated to use the "best available science" in its decisions, ensuring evidence-based, unbiased regulations, a process challenged by political interference and advisory board changes.

• Rural Human Rights Defenders Face Serious and Growing Risks, UN Report Reveals (Inside Climate News) - A UN report reveals that rural human rights defenders, especially those challenging environmental destruction, face increasing threats, intimidation, and violence, often with little support.

• Home battery rebate hailed as most crucial consumer energy policy since rooftop solar. Here’s how it will work (RenewEconomy) - Australia's new $2.3 billion home battery rebate program aims to cut installation costs and energy bills by offering discounts up to $4,995, promoting wider adoption of residential energy storage.

• Dutton and Littleproud mislead in bad-faith concern-trolling of home battery rebate plan (RenewEconomy) - Australian opposition leaders Dutton and Littleproud are falsely using social justice concerns to criticize a home battery rebate plan, contradicting reports of falling electricity prices.

• Trump’s Fraud & Efficiency Lies Bring Out Mass Protests (CleanTechnica) - Mass protests erupted across the US in response to Trump's policies, including the revocation of climate pledges and the freezing of clean energy funding.

• Sane-Washing Trump’s Tariffs: The “Master” Plan Doesn’t Make Sense & Isn’t Being Followed (CleanTechnica) - A Harvard economist's plan to use tariffs to fix global trade is riddled with contradictions and unlikely to be followed by the Trump administration.

• Poor countries say rich world betraying them over climate pledges on shipping (The Guardian) - Poor nations accuse wealthy countries of abandoning climate commitments as shipping emissions levy faces opposition from major economies at IMO talks.

• Climate Change Made ‘Bonkers’ Central Asia Heatwave Up to 10C Hotter: Report (Earth.Org) - A rapid attribution study found that climate change amplified a recent Central Asia heatwave by up to 10°C, with such events expected every three years due to human-induced global warming.

• Our elected officials have known about climate change since the ‘60s (Yale Climate Connections) - Scientists warned about human-caused climate change as early as the 1950s, but disinformation campaigns obscured public understanding, according to historian Naomi Oreskes.

• Wind and solar power opponents make headway in state legislatures (Canary Media) - State legislatures are seeing increased opposition to wind and solar power, with some states introducing measures to restrict or tax renewable energy projects, despite rural areas benefiting economically.

• Adoção de animais (Guardian) - A survey reveals Australians overwhelmingly support stronger environmental protections, contrasting with the government's weakening of nature laws and insufficient biodiversity funding.

• Tariffs are bad news for clean energy (Canary Media) - Trump's new tariffs threaten to raise costs for wind, solar, and EV industries, potentially stalling clean energy progress and impacting economic growth.

• April Teach Climate Tips (Climate Generation) - Climate Generation's April newsletter offers resources and strategies for educators to address climate change, promote social justice, and build resilience in students and communities.

• Tomorrow: What Yale Climate Opinion Maps Tell Us About the 89 Percent (Covering Climate Now) - A press briefing will teach journalists to use Yale Climate Opinion Maps, an interactive tool showing US public opinion on global warming at the local level.

• You’re Invited: Yale Climate Opinion Maps for Journalists (Yale Program on Climate Change Communication) - Journalists invited to April 8 webinar on using Yale Climate Opinion Maps tool to track local-level public climate views across US.

• 防犯防災総合展実行委員会　Crime and Disaster Prevention Exhibition Executive Comittee (PreventionWeb) - The Crime and Disaster Prevention Exhibition Executive Committee promotes information on crime, disaster countermeasures, and safety measures for homes, offices, and communities in Osaka, Japan, featuring the latest products and information in the field.

• Nigerian officials arrest Chinese pangolin trafficking ‘kingpin’ (Mongabay) - Nigerian officials arrest Chinese national suspected of orchestrating major pangolin scale trafficking operation following 7-ton seizure and multi-agency investigation.

• How to gauge flood risk before you buy or rent a seafront property (The Conversation) - A UK study reveals that while flood risk maps deter buyers from seafront properties, unclear communication and misinterpreted data can harm coastal economies.

• “I could never find a business case:” Renewable bosses say gas power will require its own underwriting scheme (RenewEconomy) - Renewable energy leaders argue that new gas peaking generators will require government underwriting due to high costs and lack of investor interest.

• Why more AI researchers should collaborate with governments (Nature) - AI researchers should collaborate more with governments to translate academic advances into practical public service tools and policies, like AI-powered apps for reporting issues or optimizing housing development.

• Feds approve pipeline to TVA’s coal-to-gas conversion (Canary Media) - Federal regulators approved a 122-mile natural gas pipeline extension to supply a Tennessee Valley Authority power plant converting from coal.

• S.C. passes sweeping energy reform bill  (Canary Media) - South Carolina passed an energy bill streamlining permits and fast-tracking a gas plant, while Georgia preps for Public Service Commission elections.

• Line 5 fight continues (Canary Media) - Tribes and environmental groups are appealing to the Michigan Supreme Court to challenge a permit for Enbridge's Line 5 oil pipeline.

• Tariff fallout sinks in (Canary Media) - Retaliatory tariffs from US trade partners and UAW support for auto tariffs exacerbate challenges for renewable energy and auto industries.

• This brain structure filters which thoughts we become aware of and which we don’t (Nature) - A study using electrodes in human brains reveals the thalamus filters thoughts reaching conscious awareness.

Renewables

Grenada's 15 MW solar farm, lunar perovskite cells, Potentia Energy, JinkoSolar, Squadron Energy's Clarke Creek Wind Farm, Aetherflux's space solar, Celtic Sea floating wind, Inverleigh wind farm (GE Vernova), Tesla solar decline, Hydro-Québec export halt.

• Grenada Airport To Host Solar & Storage Project (TaiyangNews) - Grenada plans to build a 15 MW solar and storage farm at Maurice Bishop International Airport with World Bank funding to cut GHG emissions by 40% by 2030.

• Scientists Propose Solar Manufacturing Using Moon Dust (TaiyangNews) - Scientists propose manufacturing halide perovskite solar cells on the moon using lunar regolith-based glass, potentially enabling scalable lunar energy production with high power-to-mass ratios.

• Asia Pacific Solar PV News Snippets: IIT Bombay At TaiyangNews Solar Manufacturing Conference & More (TaiyangNews) - Asia-Pacific sees solar activity with Potentia Energy acquiring over 1 GW RE stake, JinkoSolar supplying modules for a 10 GW hydrogen project, and various solar installations and agreements across the region.

• Final turbine blades delivered to Andrew Forrest’s biggest wind project to date (RenewEconomy) - Andrew Forrest's Squadron Energy received the final turbine blades for its 450MW Clarke Creek Wind Farm in Queensland, with 78 of 100 turbines already installed and expected to power 330,000 homes.

• “It’s renewables, or extinction:” Major parties accused of ignoring environment, and threat to humanity (RenewEconomy) - Australian Conservation Foundation and WWF-Australia urge a rapid transition to renewables, warning that failure to do so threatens the environment and humanity.

• $50 Million More For US Space Solar Startup Aetherflux (CleanTechnica) - Aetherflux, a US space solar startup, secured $50 million in Series A funding to advance its technology for beaming solar energy from low Earth orbit using infrared lasers.

• Floating wind: Three major Celtic Sea projects progress to final seabed auction (BusinessGreen) - Three floating wind farm projects totalling 4.5GW in the Celtic Sea have advanced to the final seabed lease auction stage with the Crown Estate.

• Wave energy’s huge potential could finally be unlocked by the power of sound – new research (The Conversation) - New research shows underwater sound waves could boost wave energy efficiency by 30% and potentially mitigate tsunamis through acoustic wave manipulation.

• After almost 20 years, Inverleigh wind project near Geelong is almost shovel-ready (RenewEconomy) - After nearly 20 years, the 100MW Inverleigh wind farm in Victoria, featuring 15 GE Vernova turbines, is set to begin construction in 2025 and be commissioned around 2027.

• Tesla Solar Sales Declined for 4 Straight Quarters, Then Tesla Stopped Publishing the Numbers (CleanTechnica) - Tesla's solar installation business shows eight consecutive quarters of decline since Q4 2022, with company ceasing to publish installation figures after four straight declining quarters.

• In New England, Canadian hydropower has slowed to an ominous trickle (Grist) - Hydro-Québec's halt of electricity exports to New England, driven by low prices and drought, raises concerns about regional energy security and reliance on fossil fuels.

Transport

Battery-electric trucks favored over hydrogen (France, Germany); Waymo tested against Tesla FSD; UK EV rule changes negligible; "Sky Daddy" novel explores climate themes.

• France & Germany’s Economic Councils Endorse Electric Trucks Over Hydrogen (CleanTechnica) - French and German economic councils recommend battery-electric trucks over hydrogen for freight decarbonization, citing cost-effectiveness and immediate viability.

• A Tesla Bull Spends A Day Testing Waymo In Phoenix (CleanTechnica) - Tesla investor tests Waymo's autonomous taxi service in Phoenix, finding it less mentally taxing than Tesla's FSD despite similar driving performance.

• Labour: changes to EV rules will have ‘negligible’ impact on UK emissions (The Guardian) - UK's Labour government admits changes to EV rules, made in response to Trump's tariffs, will have a negligible impact on overall carbon emissions.

• ‘Flying is an act of surrender’: a new novel about a woman who wants to be ravished by an Airbus (The Guardian) - Kate Folk's novel, Sky Daddy, explores a woman's sexual obsession with airplanes and her desire for a fatal crash, reflecting themes of surrender and the climate crisis.