Social media posts have been popping up in recent days of Tesla owners trying out their car's new "Smart Summon" feature.
Why it matters: As The Verge and others reported, Smart Summon "is already causing chaos in parking lots across America," suggesting the technology isn't ready or people are misusing it.
A growing number of cities are eliminating natural gas hookups in new homes and buildings as they work to reduce emissions and help meet climate targets.
The big picture: Fossil fuels burned in buildings contribute a tenth of overall U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. While coal use continues to decline, natural gas use has held steady, making it a prime target in efforts to decarbonize.
Capitol Hill Democrats want more information about Energy Secretary Rick Perry's activities in the Ukraine as they investigate President Trump.
Where it stands:The Houston Chronicle notes that the House subpoena of Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani seeks "documents related to Energy Secretary Rick Perry’s involvement with Ukrainian leaders last spring."
The Trump administration will likely endorse modest increases in vehicle mileage and emissions standards when it completes rules to weaken Obama-era mandates, multiple sources tell Axios.
Why it matters: The move, depending on the details, will likely force automakers into tough decisions about whether to endorse it.
Rudy Giuliani confirmed on Tuesday that he has lawyered up, hiring attorney Jon Sale to represent him in House Democrats' impeachment inquiry into alleged efforts by him and President Trump to pressure the government of Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden.
The big picture: Sale is a former Watergate assistant special prosecutor and one of Giuliani's former law school classmates, per the New York Times' Maggie Haberman. Giuliani has been subpoenaed by the House Intelligence Committee to produce documents by Oct. 15. He has not yet stated whether he will cooperate. He said on Sunday that he would comply if Trump asked him to, but attacked Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff as unqualified because he has "prejudged the case."
The Energy Department's Vehicle Technologies Office's "fact of the week" pulls data on 2 key categories of medium- and heavy-duty trucks to illustrate what prolific fuel users they are.
The big picture: As the chart above shows, in 2017 they consumed over one-fourth of the fuel used on U.S. roads despite being just 4.5% of the vehicles. "Combination" trucks alone — that is, tractor trailers — accounted for 17% of that consumption.
