Since the introduction of mass-market vehicles in the early 20th century, the automotive industry has been remarkably stable. The largest automakers from 80 years ago are still mostly among the largest today. Breaking into this industry was difficult, very few succeeded.

The rise of electric vehicles — and the slow adoption from many established automakers — has presented a narrow window for new entrants. Tesla, which was struggling to put out their first mass-produced vehicle just a decade ago, has already become the most valuable automaker in the world.

This enormous success has inspired dozens of copycat startups hoping to…

In 2015, the United Nations developed 17 interlinked goals to achieve a “better and more sustainable future for all” by 2030. The seventh goal aspires to provide safe, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.

This was a lofty goal. As of that year, more than 13% of the global population — about a billion people — lacked access to electricity. In Sub-Saharan Africa, more than 60% did not have access.

Figuring out a way to expand access to electricity is no small task. Regions that lack electricity are often remote areas of low-income countries that the national grid does…

Electric vehicles have become all the hype in the automotive world — Tesla is now the world’s most valuable car manufacturer, and traditional automakers are pouring billions into electrification. But despite this, fossil fuel vehicles¹ still dominate the roads. Electric cars make up just 1% of vehicles on the road as of 2020.

Even still, signs are pointing to the early stages of a transformation in the transportation industry. In fact, fossil fuel vehicle sales are likely to have peaked in 2018.

Data from the International Energy Agency shows an interesting picture. From 2010 to 2016, fossil fuel vehicle sales…

Not long ago, the idea that oil companies would invest heavily in clean energy seemed like a pipe dream. As the world was realizing the severity of climate change, many of the world’s largest oil companies donated millions to right wing think tanks that promoted distrust in climate science.

But as the turn towards a cleaner future became inevitable, oil companies gradually gave up on efforts to delegitimize climate science — and many started investing in clean alternatives instead.

Bloomberg New Energy Finance data shows that the major oil & gas companies spent about $4 billion on clean energy technologies…

One of the greatest barriers to the mass adoption of electric cars is lengthy charging times. Gas cars have multiple drawbacks, but their ability to refuel in just a few minutes is an advantage consumers are hesitant to lose. In the 2020 Consumer Reports survey of potential electric car buyers, more than one-fifth of people cited long charging times as holding them back from purchasing an electric car.

Unlike gas cars, electric vehicles (EVs) have different charging options for different situations. Level 1 charging can be accomplished by plugging the car into any standard 120V household outlet. …

The massive decline in renewable energy costs has disrupted the global energy system. Across the world, wind and solar farms are going up at a rapid pace. In many places, renewable energy is displacing coal and even natural gas.

However, even if clean electricity is able to fully displace fossil fuel electricity, major challenges remain. Electricity represents less than one-fifth of total energy consumption, meaning the world will need to find a way to replace other forms of dirty energy as well. Part of this is already underway — the rise of electric vehicles will soon allow personal cars to…

New battery technology has long been the ambition among automotive manufacturers. Industry players are hopeful that improved tech will bring improved energy density, longer lifespans, and faster recharging.

As a result, automakers have plowed billions into promising new technologies – and solid-state batteries in specific. Recently, Ford and BMW invested a combined $130 million into Colorado startup Solid Power (in addition to an earlier investment by Ford). Volkswagen put $300 million into startup QuantumScape, which has now grown to a valuation of over $9 billion after going public at $3.3 billion in 2020. …

Drafting is one of the most difficult yet crucial elements of a successful NBA franchise. From 1998 to 2019, the San Antonio Spurs made a record-tying 22 straight post-season appearances while winning five championships in the process. This incredible run was fueled by a series of strong draft picks, many of them outside of the lottery.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Sacramento Kings have now missed the playoffs for 15 straight seasons — also tying an NBA record. Unsurprisingly, this analysis shows the Kings as one of the worst drafting teams.

In this analysis, I have created…