electrive

India's coal inventories at power plants have fallen to a three-year low as generators compensate for weak hydropower output. The government is now requiring all captive coal plants above 50 megawatts to run at full capacity to avert a potential power shortage, highlighting the country's ongoing reliance on coal during periods of low hydro generation.

China has crossed 1,000 gigawatts of installed solar capacity, the largest amount any country has ever reached, roughly equal to the entire electricity capacity of the United States. Observers are highlighting the scale of the milestone and what it signals for the pace of China's renewable energy build-out compared with the rest of the world.

Electric car sales in Europe have surged 52%, with gasoline prices reaching the equivalent of $10 a gallon. Bloomberg reports the spike in fuel costs is pushing European buyers toward electric vehicles at record rates, accelerating the region's shift away from combustion engines. Commentators are debating whether high fuel prices, rather than subsidies or charging infrastructure, are the real driver of the EV boom.

New figures on global electricity generation show coal remained the world's largest single source in 2024, producing about 34% of all power. Wind and solar together reached 15%, a sharp rise from just 4% a decade earlier. The data has been presented as charts drawn directly onto an interactive world map, letting users zoom from a global view down to country-level detail.

An analysis by Carbon Brief finds that driving an electric vehicle in the UK is now roughly nine times cheaper per mile than running a petrol or diesel car, based on current electricity and fuel prices. The finding is drawing attention amid ongoing debate about EV running costs, charging infrastructure and the transition away from combustion engines.

Two of China's electric vehicle manufacturers have announced a deal, a sign that the country's crowded EV sector is beginning to consolidate. The New York Times reports the agreement comes as intensifying competition, price wars and overcapacity push China's auto industry toward mergers and consolidation.

The Trump administration has moved to roll back US fuel economy standards, arguing the change will make cars more affordable for American buyers. The question of whether vehicles will actually get cheaper is now at the center of debate, with industry groups, consumer advocates and analysts weighing the savings against higher fuel costs and the impact on electric vehicle development.

A slow-moving storm continues to churn off the coast, battering shorelines while utility crews make progress restoring electricity to customers knocked offline by the weather. The combination of a lingering offshore system and recovering power supplies is drawing attention as residents weigh lingering coastal hazards against signs that conditions are gradually improving.

Anthropic's IPO prospectus reportedly claims that artificial intelligence could transform the world more profoundly than electricity or the internet. The filing's framing underscores the company's ambition as it moves toward a public listing, positioning AI as a historic general-purpose technology. The claim is drawing attention as one of the boldest statements in a public market document.

The European Commission has called on EU member states to reduce their gas and electricity consumption amid rising energy prices. The appeal comes as households and industry across the bloc face high bills, and it signals Brussels' push for demand-side measures to ease pressure on the market. Member states' responses and any binding targets remain to be seen.

The UK government is set to scrap the distinctive Brexit-era warning labels that were required on products such as cars and electrical goods after leaving the European Union. The labelling, introduced when Britain split from EU rules, is being dropped as part of wider moves to diverge from EU regulation. Commentators are debating whether the change is a practical cut to red tape or a symbolic gesture.

The Trump administration is scrapping fuel economy standards put in place under President Biden, including the aggressive mileage requirements that pushed automakers toward electric vehicles. Officials cited slow consumer adoption of EVs and pressure on carmakers as justification for easing the rules. The rollback marks a significant reversal of Biden-era climate and transportation policy and is drawing attention from automakers, regulators, and environmental groups nationwide.

The Trump administration has unveiled rules loosening the nation's fuel economy standards, framing the change as a way to save consumers money. The regulations also mark a further retreat from federal policies encouraging drivers to switch from gasoline-powered cars to electric vehicles, reversing emissions and efficiency requirements that automakers had faced for years.

President Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy have finalized the "Freedom Means Affordable Cars" initiative, which resets federal fuel economy standards and ends what the administration calls an illegal electric vehicle mandate. The Department of Transportation framed the move as lowering car prices for American consumers, while the rollback of efficiency rules is expected to draw criticism from environmental and clean-energy groups.

Two Chinese electric vehicle makers, Geely and Nio, have announced a deal, according to a New York Times report. The agreement is being read as a sign that China's crowded EV market, marked by intense price competition and thin margins, is entering a phase of consolidation, with weaker automakers expected to merge or be absorbed by larger rivals.

The European Union is pressing the United Kingdom to raise its tariffs on electric vehicles imported from China. Brussels has already imposed duties on Chinese EVs to counter subsidies it says give them an unfair advantage, and it now wants London to align its trade policy. The issue highlights ongoing differences between the EU and UK on how to handle Chinese competition in the car industry.

The European Union is moving to limit the energy and water consumption of data centres, in a bid to control the resources used by the fast-growing digital infrastructure sector. The proposal comes as data centre demand surges, driven by cloud computing and artificial intelligence, raising concerns about strain on electricity grids and water supplies across member states.

Volkswagen's deal with Chinese battery maker Gotion is drawing attention as a case study in the limits of Western efforts to reduce dependence on China. Despite political pressure to de-risk supply chains, the automaker continues to rely on Chinese partners for critical battery technology and production, underscoring how deeply intertwined the European and Chinese industrial bases remain.

Euractiv's VOLTAGE newsletter asks whether Europe's energy crisis is returning, examining current gas and electricity market pressures. The piece weighs price movements and supply concerns against the relative stability achieved since the 2022 peak. Energy watchers are reassessing whether recent price upticks signal a new bout of turbulence or only seasonal fluctuation.