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  • Bending Ice Produces Electricity, Possibly Explaining Lightning

    Bending Ice Produces Electricity, Possibly Explaining Lightning

    Researchers at ICN2 have found that bending ice produces electricity, offering new insight into the origin of lightning. Ubiquitous in nearly all cold ecosystems, ice is still unveiling hidden properties.
    Image Credits:http: pplware.sapo.pt

    Researchers at ICN2 have found that bending ice produces electricity, offering new insight into the origin of lightning. Ubiquitous in nearly all cold ecosystems, ice is still unveiling hidden properties.

    Ice Proven to Be Flexoelectric Through International Collaboration

    In a global collaboration with Xi’an Jiaotong University (China) and Stony Brook University (USA), the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2) has shown that ice is flexoelectric—capable of generating electricity when unevenly deformed.

    Published in Nature Physics, this finding not only paves the way for technological advances but also offers a credible physical explanation for how lightning arises in thunderstorms.

    The study revealed that ice, even near 0 °C, exhibits an electrical response when unevenly bent or stressed.

    In addition, at ultra-low temperatures (below –113 °C or 160 K), researchers identified a thin ferroelectric layer on the surface of ice.

    Dual Electrical Properties Reveal the Hidden Complexity of Ice

    This layer enables reversible electrical polarization, similar to a magnet’s polarity reversal. Together, the coexistence of ferroelectricity in extreme cold and flexoelectricity at higher temperatures reveals ice to be far more intricate and fascinating than once believed.

    Image Credits: pplware.sapo.pt

    A key highlight of this research is its direct link to the natural mechanisms behind lightning.

    While it was already known that storms arise from charge buildup in clouds caused by ice particle collisions, the exact process of charge generation had remained unclear.

    Flexoelectric Ice Explains Charge Generation in Storm Clouds

    The study demonstrates that when ice bends unevenly—something that naturally occurs during collisions in clouds—it produces electric charge through flexoelectricity.

    In experiments, scientists bent an ice sheet placed between two electrodes and measured the resulting voltage, which aligned with the electrical potentials observed in thunderstorm data.

    These findings strengthen the idea that ice flexoelectricity could be the driving force behind cloud electrification, a crucial step in the creation of lightning.

    Image Credits: pplware.sapo.pt

    Surprisingly, ice itself could serve as a functional material in electronic devices. This is particularly relevant in cold environments such as polar regions, high mountains, or even future space missions to icy moons like Europa or Enceladus, where producing conventional materials is impractical.

    Flexoelectric Ice as a Power Source for Next-Generation Sensors

    Thanks to flexoelectricity, ice can generate current without external power, enabling the creation of autonomous sensors, climate monitoring tools, or seismic detectors.

    Amid today’s climate crisis, leveraging low-impact technologies powered by natural processes marks a strategic step forward.

    In places like the Arctic, where harsh conditions hinder the operation of standard equipment, devices that use ice as an active element could enable continuous tracking of ice melt, methane release, or tectonic shifts beneath glaciers.

    Read the original article on: Pplware Sapo Pt

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  • The Electric Hummer is Nearly Outselling the F-150 Lightning

    The Electric Hummer is Nearly Outselling the F-150 Lightning

    General Motors sold 4,508 electric Hummer trucks and SUVs in the U.S. during the second quarter, putting it within striking distance of Ford’s F-150 Lightning despite a steep price difference.
    Image Credits:Techcrunch

    General Motors sold 4,508 electric Hummer trucks and SUVs in the U.S. during the second quarter, putting it within striking distance of Ford’s F-150 Lightning despite a steep price difference.

    It was a strong quarter overall for GM’s EV lineup, making it one of the few automakers to post a year-over-year increase in U.S. electric vehicle sales, according to data released Tuesday. GM sold 17,420 electric Equinox SUVs, 3,056 electric Silverado pickups, 6,549 Blazer EVs, 1,810 Escalade IQs, and 1,524 electric GMC Sierra trucks.

    BrightDrop Boosts GM’s EV Surge with Strong Van Sales and New Models

    Sales from its commercial EV arm, BrightDrop, also grew significantly, with 1,318 electric vans sold — up from 490 a year earlier. In total, GM’s EV sales rose 111% for the quarter, even as it phased out the Bolt EV and EUV. The growth was partly due to new models that weren’t available in the same quarter last year.

    That contrasts sharply with most other automakers’ EV performance in Q2, based on currently available data. Ford, for instance, saw a 31% drop in U.S. EV sales, driven by falling demand for its E-Transit vans and a decline in F-150 Lightning sales. In contrast, its hybrid sales rose over 23% year-over-year.

    By mid-2025, Ford had sold just 38,988 EVs — nearly 12% fewer than at the same point in 2024 — despite overall sales growth, boosted in part by aggressive employee pricing amid rising automotive tariffs.

    EV Market Faces Turbulence Amid Policy Uncertainty and Slowing Sales

    After several years of momentum, the U.S. EV market is hitting headwinds. The Trump administration’s threats to eliminate federal EV tax credits and subsidies have added uncertainty. Even Hyundai, which has been a U.S. EV success story, reported Q2 declines of 12% and 8% for its Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6, respectively. Kia fared even worse, with sharper drops for its EV9 and EV6 models. Tesla is expected to report similarly weak sales on Wednesday.

    Ford experienced a nearly 20% year-over-year decline in Mustang Mach-E sales in Q2, with just 10,178 units sold. F-150 Lightning sales also fell sharply to 5,842 units — a 26% drop. E-Transit van sales plummeted to just 418, compared to 3,410 during the same period in 2024. (Ford told TechCrunch the decline was due to major fleet orders being fulfilled in Q1.)

    In the early months of his second term, President Trump pushed for new automotive tariffs, temporarily boosting sales as consumers rushed to avoid potential price hikes. However, that surge hasn’t lasted for Ford’s EVs, which are beginning to show their age. The Mustang Mach-E launched in late 2020, and the F-150 Lightning followed in mid-2022. While Ford is developing a new line of more affordable EVs—starting with a compact electric truck—those models aren’t expected to launch until 2027.

    Read the original article on:Techcrunch

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