Jacek Fior, Author at CleanTechnica

Ford Mustang Mach-E Explores Eastern European Charging Infrastructure

Jacek Fior — Wed, 08 May 2024 14:59:18 +0000

What’s the point, one may ask, of reporting on EV road trips today when they have become so common? Even the top Polish energy and EV journalist, Bartłomiej Derski, recently tweeted that same remark after doing a Poland–Croatia trip twice in two different EVs (750 miles each way) without any ... [continued]

The post Ford Mustang Mach-E Explores Eastern European Charging Infrastructure appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Stories From The 2023 New Mobility Congress — Day 3

Jacek Fior — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 12:39:43 +0000

We were planning to add the stories from day 3 of the New Mobility Congress earlier, but my attention was totally absorbed with the parliamentary elections in Poland. To be perfectly clear, not just elections, but a real battle for the rule of law and democracy, which were (happy to ... [continued]

The post Stories From The 2023 New Mobility Congress — Day 3 appeared first on CleanTechnica.

BMW Going With New Batteries For Its Ambitious EV Plans

Jacek Fior — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 05:29:02 +0000

It’s the batteries, stupid. We could repeat that rephrased wisdom again and again until everybody understands how critical they are to not only our rEVolution but to the energy transition in general. The thing is that in my many EV conversations, mostly with skeptics and semi-enthusiasts, to put it mildly, ... [continued]

The post BMW Going With New Batteries For Its Ambitious EV Plans appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Stories From The 2023 New Mobility Congress — Day 2

Jacek Fior — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 20:51:44 +0000

Here we are to continue the stories from the 2023 New Mobility Congress. We had four great stories on the first day, and day two proved to be even more eventful. Without further ado, let me introduce my first guests. Instead of one representative from Finland, I was honored to ... [continued]

The post Stories From The 2023 New Mobility Congress — Day 2 appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Stories from the 2023 New Mobility Congress — Day 1

Jacek Fior — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 05:00:58 +0000

The New Mobility Congress 2023 is over. The dust has settled and we can now reflect on what was said, announced, or predicted over the three September days in central Poland. If you read my invitation to the event, you know the organizers managed to “create a unique venue for ... [continued]

The post Stories from the 2023 New Mobility Congress — Day 1 appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Do EV Conferences Matter? The Good Ones Do.

Jacek Fior — Fri, 01 Sep 2023 13:41:22 +0000

Back in 2016, CleanTechnica produced on a series of events called the Cleantech Revolution Tour. Poland was not officially part of the rEVolution at that time, but a number of EV aficionados and cleantech lovers convinced CleanTechnica to hold one of the events in Wrocław (as well as Berlin and ... [continued]

The post Do EV Conferences Matter? The Good Ones Do. appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Driving 1,000 Miles Home in the Kona Electric

Jacek Fior — Mon, 24 Oct 2022 06:25:00 +0000

What’s the longest you have driven in one go? How about in an electric car? Our team hit their record distance returning from the Balkan experience during our annual EV quest across Europe. Not that they planned it that way, but in the end, it was a thrilling adventure. We ... [continued]

The post Driving 1,000 Miles Home in the Kona Electric appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Our Hyundai Kona EV Journey Through Greece, Albania, & Croatia

Jacek Fior — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 01:17:28 +0000

Following up on the first part of this journey in the Hyundai Kona Electric from Warsaw, Poland, to the easternmost point in Europe — and our earlier EV journeys to Nordkapp (the northernmost point in Europe), Cabo da Roca (the westernmost point), Punta Marroqui (the southernmost point) — this article ... [continued]

The post Our Hyundai Kona EV Journey Through Greece, Albania, & Croatia appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Electric Vehicle Journey In Hyundai Kona Electric Continues — Part 3

Jacek Fior — Wed, 12 Oct 2022 23:46:05 +0000

The question I quite often hear is whether we need to do and report such EV trips at all. What’s the point at this moment of adoption when everybody knows you can travel any distance in your EV? You can do it in comfort now, after all, and travel cheaper ... [continued]

The post Electric Vehicle Journey In Hyundai Kona Electric Continues — Part 3 appeared first on CleanTechnica.

From Transylvania to Istanbul in a Hyundai Kona Electric

Jacek Fior — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 02:34:47 +0000

Our crew of EV journeymen from Poland have gone to the far north, to the farthest point west in Europe, and to the farthest point south in Europe on EV journeys — in a Nissan LEAF, a Porsche Taycan, and a Volkswagen ID.4. This year, they are going to Europe’s ... [continued]

The post From Transylvania to Istanbul in a Hyundai Kona Electric appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Electric Vehicle Journey To Europe’s Easternmost Point — In Hyundai Kona Electric This Time

Jacek Fior — Fri, 07 Oct 2022 19:00:23 +0000

It’s been over a year since the last EV trip to the outskirts of Europe by the journalist team of WysokieNapięcie.pl (unchangingly, the #1 analytical site for energy and technology news in Poland). That was when they were travelling to the southernmost point of continental Europe — Punta Marroqui — ... [continued]

The post Electric Vehicle Journey To Europe’s Easternmost Point — In Hyundai Kona Electric This Time appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Who Killed the Ukrainian Electric Car?

Jacek Fior — Mon, 11 Apr 2022 03:57:12 +0000

It was 2016 and we were all intoxicated with the EV revolution in the world, hoping the trend would come to Poland as well. Together with CleanTechnica and a group of friends — EV enthusiasts, of course — we organized a series of events called the Cleantech Revolution Tour. I ... [continued]

The post Who Killed the Ukrainian Electric Car? appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Winter Electric Vehicle Journey Across The Nordics In BMW IX — It Did Go Wrong!

Jacek Fior — Tue, 08 Mar 2022 04:47:24 +0000

I know I left you in utter suspense waiting for more twists in our EV road trip in the Nordics. Writing part two of this series has taken longer than expected. The team needed a good night’s sleep and got one. The hotel they stayed at was surrounded by more ... [continued]

The post Winter Electric Vehicle Journey Across The Nordics In BMW IX — It Did Go Wrong! appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Winter Electric Vehicle Journey Across The Nordics In BMW iX — What Could Go Wrong?

Jacek Fior — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 08:26:56 +0000

You may remember previous EV road trips by the journalists of WysokieNapiecie.pl that I’ve reported for CleanTechnica (travelling to Punta Marroqui — the southernmost point of continental Europe — in a Volkswagen ID.4 in 2021, driving to Cabo da Roca — the westernmost point of continental Europe — in a ... [continued]

The post Winter Electric Vehicle Journey Across The Nordics In BMW iX — What Could Go Wrong? appeared first on CleanTechnica.

All You Need To Know About Electric Campers and Caravans – European Edition

Jacek Fior — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 04:50:04 +0000

These electrified camper vans make getting off the grid greener than ever - but you can't get these in the US!

The post All You Need To Know About Electric Campers and Caravans – European Edition appeared first on CleanTechnica.

The Day My Tesla Motor Fell Down …

Jacek Fior — Fri, 26 Nov 2021 21:00:12 +0000

I mean, literally fell down, damaging the steering gear. Before you start thinking I’m writing this piece to make Tesla short sellers happy, let me give you some background to the story. We are a group of three Tesla lovers — in fact, EV aficionados in general. In 2017, we ... [continued]

The post The Day My Tesla Motor Fell Down … appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Proving Europe Is Ready in the Volkswagen ID.4

Jacek Fior — Tue, 10 Aug 2021 02:37:17 +0000

When reporting the Porsche Taycan road trip across Europe last year, I complained how hard it was to write the final piece when the excitement of the adventure is over and we’re all back to our daily chores. This year, the yellow submarine story kept me successfully hooked and the ... [continued]

The post Proving Europe Is Ready in the Volkswagen ID.4 appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Driving Volkswagen ID.4 Across Europe in Midst of Scorching Climate Change

Jacek Fior — Mon, 02 Aug 2021 03:06:59 +0000

There is this general rule that after reaching the midpoint of doing something, the other half normally goes faster — be it going to work, with the journey back always quicker; or driving to your in-laws, when the return miraculously gets shorter. That is not the case for the two ... [continued]

The post Driving Volkswagen ID.4 Across Europe in Midst of Scorching Climate Change appeared first on CleanTechnica.

European EV Talks & Challenges At Chargers On Our Volkswagen ID.4 Journey

Jacek Fior — Fri, 30 Jul 2021 15:53:41 +0000

In my previous article, I left the WysokieNapiecie.pl team in Miluza/Mulhouse, France, after the incredible 1370 km they travelled in one day. You may wonder why drive so much for so many hours, and I will share the reason for that later on. Spoiler: it’s not about being given a ... [continued]

The post European EV Talks & Challenges At Chargers On Our Volkswagen ID.4 Journey appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Electric Vehicle Journey Across Europe — In Volkswagen ID.4 This Time

Jacek Fior — Mon, 26 Jul 2021 22:10:57 +0000

The time has come again to set off on yet another electric vehicle journey. Last year, I reported on the adventures of the journalists of WysokieNapięcie.pl (definitely the #1 analytical site for energy and technology news in Poland) travelling to the westernmost point of continental Europe — Cabo da Roca ... [continued]

The post Electric Vehicle Journey Across Europe — In Volkswagen ID.4 This Time appeared first on CleanTechnica.

In Defense Of PHEVs — Part 2 (To Be Continued…)

Jacek Fior — Sat, 13 Mar 2021 15:55:59 +0000

Let me start by reporting something totally unrelated to plugin hybrids (or is it?). Like all the rest of the world, Poland is in the process of vaccinating as many people as possible in the shortest possible time. You would think we’re one team and all government officials, media entities, ... [continued]

The post In Defense Of PHEVs — Part 2 (To Be Continued…) appeared first on CleanTechnica.

ChargePolska Will Make Polish EV Drivers Happy

Jacek Fior — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 04:07:52 +0000

“I want it fast and I want it free” would probably be the best summary of how I feel about EV charging. Some of you will say it’s naive and some will say it doesn’t reflect market principles — and I will repeat that I want it fast and I want it free.

The post ChargePolska Will Make Polish EV Drivers Happy appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Porsche Taycan: Matching Fossil-Fueled Vehicles On Long Journeys (Almost)

Jacek Fior — Mon, 07 Sep 2020 04:22:33 +0000

The hardest piece to write when reporting an event is the final one, the one summarizing it all up after the event is over. Excitement fades away, you are back to your daily chores, and the faint memory of the electric Porsche Taycan turns more faint every hour.

The post Porsche Taycan: Matching Fossil-Fueled Vehicles On Long Journeys (Almost) appeared first on CleanTechnica.

A Tale of Two Movies

Jacek Fior — Sat, 05 Sep 2020 11:00:21 +0000

I’m at awe at how humanity doesn’t change much, and no matter what age it is, we seem to be in the same dichotomy of contradicting forces of good and evil, where both good and evil will have differing definitions depending on who you ask (you could be surprised to learn the source of all evil in Poland today is ... the rainbow).

The post A Tale of Two Movies appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Green & Electric Paris, With A Little Help From Poland

Jacek Fior — Thu, 13 Aug 2020 23:39:07 +0000

Before I even start, here is a disclaimer: this article is biased and reflects a deeply patriotic obligation to promote Polish brands. :-) And, yes, it is about Paris, France, while reporting from our Taycan e-Rally.

The post Green & Electric Paris, With A Little Help From Poland appeared first on CleanTechnica.

In The European Charging Jungle With A Porsche Taycan

Jacek Fior — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 03:47:23 +0000

Reporting from the Taycan #eRally, I’m planning to make many CleanTechnica readers happy today and will throw in some interesting real-life data on charging, range, and energy use.

The post In The European Charging Jungle With A Porsche Taycan appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Driving The Porsche Taycan Across Europe

Jacek Fior — Sun, 09 Aug 2020 01:52:33 +0000

Every year we see some adventurers embarking on e-races and trips all around the world. I have myself reported on a few by Tomek Gać in Europe, from Poland to Macedonia and Sicily, and by Arkady Fiedler across Africa.

The post Driving The Porsche Taycan Across Europe appeared first on CleanTechnica.

In Defense Of PHEVs (Probably Part One)

Jacek Fior — Mon, 03 Aug 2020 06:19:55 +0000

Within two weeks in June, I read two articles on CleanTechnica that somehow made me blush a little. The first one openly said the era of PHEVs must end (something I have said a few times myself, to be honest) and the second one was on SUVs being responsible for growing transport emissions in the EU. The reason I blushed was that a few days before the first of the two articles came out, I had decided to buy (or, to be precise, long-term hire/rent) a PHEV SUV, the Peugeot 3008 Hybrid4.

The post In Defense Of PHEVs (Probably Part One) appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Elon Asks, Poland Delivers — EV Emojis For The World

Jacek Fior — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 05:00:37 +0000

Reporting from the frontlines of the EV revolution in Poland, I'm back with some good news after a long absence here. Yes, I felt a little upset about the Tesla Berlin thing. It hurt, Elon, especially when there was so much potential next door. But we Poles are not grudge-bearers (unless it’s about soccer), so be assured you still have many friends here. As a token of this friendship, we thought we would make one of your wishes come true. I guess not only yours, but you have mentioned it at least once or twice.

The post Elon Asks, Poland Delivers — EV Emojis For The World appeared first on CleanTechnica.

How The Zayed Sustainable Prize Makes A Difference — 4 Interviews

Jacek Fior — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 02:57:39 +0000

I thought I would go back to the Zayed Sustainability Prize winners from last year to check what has changed and how the prize has impacted their operations.

The post How The Zayed Sustainable Prize Makes A Difference — 4 Interviews appeared first on CleanTechnica.

13 Reasons A Tesla Gigafactory Should Be In Poland

Jacek Fior — Thu, 01 Aug 2019 02:30:26 +0000

This article was initially published in September 2018. Now that Poland has a Tesla service center (and more coming), we're rerunning it. The arguments seem as strong as ever that Poland is a nearly ideal place for a Tesla gigafactory. Furthermore, with Elon Musk's recent comments about a need/plan for 2 terawatt-hours of Tesla battery production and Chanan Bos's dive into how that could play out, this seemed like a good time to republish Jacek's article.

The post 13 Reasons A Tesla Gigafactory Should Be In Poland appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Testing Electric Vans In Real Life — Poland To Sicily With A Nissan e-NV200

Jacek Fior — Tue, 30 Apr 2019 21:00:45 +0000

Yes, you are right. This is exactly the time of year when a well-known Polish EV pioneer (a real one, unlike the many who are simply followers) takes to the roads of Europe to test e-mobility in real life.

The post Testing Electric Vans In Real Life — Poland To Sicily With A Nissan e-NV200 appeared first on CleanTechnica.

It’s All In The Chemistry For Lockheed Martin Energy

Jacek Fior — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 21:45:54 +0000

When covering Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week for CleanTechnica a month ago, I got invited to interview Caleb Waugh of Lockheed Martin Energy, who is Head of Business Analytics for Energy Storage there. Yes, Lockheed Martin. Knowing how many everyday innovations originated from the military sector, from GPS to microwaves, I was curious to see what is in hiding for the energy storage industry.

The post It’s All In The Chemistry For Lockheed Martin Energy appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Masdar To Double Its Clean Energy Portfolio — 8 Gigawatts Within 5 Years

Jacek Fior — Wed, 16 Jan 2019 16:10:55 +0000

The pace is fast here at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week — panels, press conferences, announcements, round tables, interviews, and more presentations. For an inexperienced rookie journalist like me, it feels like a rollercoaster. Thank God the rollercoaster stops from time to time, and today it stopped for me with a roundtable interview with Bader Al Lamki, Executive Director of Clean Energy at Masdar.

The post Masdar To Double Its Clean Energy Portfolio — 8 Gigawatts Within 5 Years appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Tesla Carshare Coming To Masdar City — CleanTechnica Exclusive

Jacek Fior — Wed, 16 Jan 2019 03:10:03 +0000

I toured Masdar City for the first time this week. It is difficult to not be overwhelmed with the vision and execution taking place there. If you are new to cleantech news, make sure you go to the Masdar City website and check out its amazing architecture, admire its focus on residents instead of cars, and share with others its ambitious energy efficiency targets (which, by the way, Masdar* often exceeds).

The post Tesla Carshare Coming To Masdar City — CleanTechnica Exclusive appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Renewable Energy To Remodel World Dominance Patterns

Jacek Fior — Sat, 12 Jan 2019 20:51:29 +0000

Attending the 9th session of IRENA's General Assembly on Friday, we were all looking forward to one item on the agenda – launch of a new report, The Geopolitics of Energy Transformation.

The post Renewable Energy To Remodel World Dominance Patterns appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Companies Will Save The World (Fringe Stories From COP24)

Jacek Fior — Thu, 03 Jan 2019 04:52:23 +0000

COP24 is behind us and I am still deep in materials, interviews, and reflections after the event. And trust me, reflections are not easy when you are Polish. I bet you all remember the famous phrase: “Life is Stranger than Fiction.” That is basically what I felt listening and watching to our government in action. Having said that, I will say almost no more about the Polish contribution to climate change and will focus on what I learnt and didn’t learn during the 2018 Sustainable Innovation Forum held in Katowice, Poland, alongside COP24 itself.

The post Companies Will Save The World (Fringe Stories From COP24) appeared first on CleanTechnica.

The Fight For A Tesla Gigafactory In Poland

Jacek Fior — Sun, 18 Nov 2018 22:40:06 +0000

When writing my letter to Elon Musk a few weeks ago, little did I know about the real actions undertaken by so few for so many. Tesla is a dream — a dream of an extraordinary electric vehicle everybody wants to own, a dream of an out-of-the-universe leader, Elon Musk, who everybody wants to follow, and a dream of a gigafactory every nation wants to attract. It seems now that Poles around the world are joining forces to save Elon from making a terrible mistake by going some other place than Poland. :-) Here is the story.

The post The Fight For A Tesla Gigafactory In Poland appeared first on CleanTechnica.

The Chicken Wins In Poland, And The Chicken Is Greenway

Jacek Fior — Thu, 01 Nov 2018 03:50:05 +0000

I wonder how many times you have heard about the chicken and egg dilemma in the context of EV rollout and charging infrastructure. Should charging infrastructure come first to encourage EV buyers or should EV drivers come first to force the development of the charging infrastructure? I bet you've heard that more than actually necessary since market-driven changes usually happen simultaneously and opportunity attracts business initiatives from both teams — chickens and eggs.

The post The Chicken Wins In Poland, And The Chicken Is Greenway appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Dear Elon Musk, Consider Poland

Jacek Fior — Mon, 03 Sep 2018 05:40:11 +0000

I have decided to write this short letter to you following rumours of a Tesla factory opening in Germany. As a Tesla fan, user and campaigner, I feel somehow obliged to tell you there are better places for your European presence (not saying Germany is a bad choice, but simply that there are better). The location I have in mind, naturally, is Poland. Here are just a few reasons behind it, in random order (or not).

The post Dear Elon Musk, Consider Poland appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Wrocław — Polish Shenzhen

Jacek Fior — Sun, 22 Jul 2018 07:10:13 +0000

There seems to be some kind of attachment I feel towards Shenzhen as I have already used it as benchmark (high one!) for some Polish activities related to e-mobility. Yet again, let me use it to praise one of my favourite cities — that is Wrocław in Poland.

The post Wrocław — Polish Shenzhen appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Electric Vehicle Charging In Poland Taking Another Big Step Forward

Jacek Fior — Tue, 05 Jun 2018 15:11:29 +0000

CleanTechnica readers may think there is a strong Polish lobby here, as news from Poland keeps popping up more and more, and you are somehow right. There is a growing number of people here who care and get involved in various ecological activities. Plus, we are lucky, as our current government chose e-mobility to be one of its flagship projects (and trust me, I am very careful in praising any government). Therefore, after I wrote about the dark side of Polish energy policy, I could start reporting brighter stories, as even other writers are doing so.

The post Electric Vehicle Charging In Poland Taking Another Big Step Forward appeared first on CleanTechnica.

CleanTechnica’s Tesla Shuttle Road Trip Encounters Interesting Surprises In Albania

Jacek Fior — Sun, 20 May 2018 15:00:06 +0000

The first stop they made after the border was a small hotel. They were planning a short biological break and something to drink but then ran into a group of ... American tourists.

The post CleanTechnica’s Tesla Shuttle Road Trip Encounters Interesting Surprises In Albania appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Epic Energy Usage In Our Tesla Model S In Albania

Jacek Fior — Sat, 19 May 2018 21:41:44 +0000

Here we come with the final stage of our CleanTechnica Tesla Shuttle Adventure. Our previous entries attracted a lot of attention in the countries we visited and the photo of the Polish tourist in Macedonia was a Twitter hit. We also received emails from concerned EV enthusiasts from Hungary, who were sorry to hear about our difficulties in Debrecen.

The post Epic Energy Usage In Our Tesla Model S In Albania appeared first on CleanTechnica.

CleanTechnica’s Tesla Shuttle Weaves Through Romania, Bulgaria, & Macedonia … But Does The Battery Die?

Jacek Fior — Sat, 05 May 2018 15:52:23 +0000

Where did we leave off? Right, in beautiful Romania. Since then, the reports we are getting have become somehow more chaotic. It could be the heat, it could be the tiredness, or it could simply be excellent wine. We will never know. Anyway, in the last entry, I said we would save driving on your last kilowatts for later, and here we are.

The post CleanTechnica’s Tesla Shuttle Weaves Through Romania, Bulgaria, & Macedonia … But Does The Battery Die? appeared first on CleanTechnica.