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Ominous forecasts about the impact of climate change serve as the backdrop for the world — led by U.S. lawmakers and companies — to debate big action on the problem, which could upend energy systems and our way of life.

Energy & Environment

Axios What's Next

U.S. light vehicle sales share, by fuel type

Data: IHS Markit Data; Note: Chart: Thomas Oide/Axios

Americans are more open than ever to trading in their gas cars for electrified vehicles — but they're flummoxed by the confusing array of green options arriving in showrooms.

Why it matters: Getting up to speed on the differences among hybrids, plug-in hybrids and battery-electric vehicles will be a challenge for car buyers — and  salespeople, too — as we transition away from gas-powered vehicles over the next decade.

What's happening: Overall car sales are down, but sales of electrified vehicles — hybrid, plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles (EVs) — nearly doubled in the third quarter, to 10.4% of total sales from 5.5%, according to Kelley Blue Book.

Pure EVs, which have no combustion engine, were still just 3% of the total, partly because of their price tag: nearly $60,000 on average, before rebates, says KBB parent, Cox Automotive. 

Until EV prices come down, hybrids and plug-in hybrids are a more affordable option for many car buyers. 

Yes but: While consumers are more aware of these alternatives, they don't fully understand them, says Toyota, which introduced the Prius 25 years ago and dominates the U.S. market for hybrids.

75% of consumers surveyed by Toyota believe hybrids need to be plugged in, for example. That's not true. 

Two-thirds of consumers surveyed think a battery-electric vehicle has an engine — also not true. 

"After 25 years, consumers are still very confused," said Mike Tripp, VP of vehicle marketing and communications at Toyota North America.

Here's a quick primer on some terms buyers are likely to encounter:

Start-stop technology — this common fuel-saving system automatically shuts down and restarts a gasoline engine when the vehicle stops.

Mild hybrid — sometimes called e-assist, it's a gas-fueled car with an electric motor for added oomph during acceleration. The electric motor can't power the car on its own, but it can boost fuel economy as much as 20%. 

Full hybrid — Toyota's Prius is a good example: The car has both a battery-powered electric motor and a gasoline engine, which operate independently or together. The e-motor can add power to supplement the engine, lowering fuel consumption.

Plug-in hybrid — With a larger battery and a more powerful motor, a plug-in hybrid can go 10-50 miles on electricity. That means you don't need to buy gas for short trips around town. When the battery is depleted, it operates as a regular full hybrid.

Battery-electric vehicle — The car must be plugged into the electric grid to recharge the battery, or it won't run. Most cars take 8-12 hours to recharge fully, although faster options are available. Today's BEVs usually get at least 250 miles between charges.

What's next: The number of electrified models is projected to explode over the next five years.

In 2020, there were 24 battery-electric models for sale in the U.S.; by 2025, IHS Markit projects that number will be 146. 

Add various types of hybrids to the mix, and there will be 220 new or redesigned electrified models introduced between 2022 and 2025. 

The bottom line: The EV era is going to take time to mature. 

Get smarter, faster on climate technology with our free, 5-video short course.

Editor's Note: This story was originally published on Nov. 23. Cox Enterprises, the parent of Kelley Blue Book and Cox Automotive, is also an investor in Axios.

Pity the "green" car buyer

Car buyers have a lot to learn about the various powertrain choices available

Electric vehicles

Twin Cities

Axios Twin Cities

Oil and gas companies should pay more to drill on federal lands and waters, the Department of the Interior argued in a report released Friday, saying that the current rates were "outdated."

Driving the news: The Department of Interior report said that the federal government's oil and gas leasing and permitting program "fails to provide a fair return to taxpayers, even before factoring in the resulting climate-related costs that must be borne by taxpayers." 

The report found that the current program "falls short of serving the public interest" and "shortchanges taxpayers and States."

The big picture: The report recommends increasing the 12.5% royalty rate the government charges to match higher rates that private landowners and major oil and gas producing states charge.

Federal royalty rates had not increased for 100 years, the report said, and as a result, the federal government often charges less than what companies pay states and private landowners. 

The Texas royalty rate, for example, can be double the federal rate, according to the Department of Interior. 

By the numbers: The report stops short of proposing a specific increase to the royalty rate, but hiking the minimum to the 18.75% charged for drilling in deep waters offshore would raise an additional $1 billion a year through 2050, The Washington Post reports. 

Our thought bubble: The Black Friday release underscores how the administration is in a politically delicate spot on oil-and-gas policy, Axios' Ben Geman writes. 

Biden campaigned on aggressive steps to limit federal lands development as part of his wider climate agenda. But the administration also faces political jeopardy from elevated gasoline prices (though they're likely to fall thanks to declining oil prices) and just days ago announced a major oil release from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

The bottom line:  While the Interior report backs a more restrictive approach to leasing, it stops far short of endorsing a halt to selling oil-and-gas drilling rights on federal lands and waters, Geman notes. 

"This approach could still significantly curtail future federal oil and gas production activity while remaining consistent with existing laws," a note from research firm ClearView Energy Partners said.

Department of Interior proposes raising cost of drilling on public lands

The minimum rates paid by oil and gas companies haven't been raised in decades, the report notes.

oil pump jacks on federal land in new mexico

A horizontal drilling rig and a pump jack sit on federal land in Lea County, N.M. Photo: Callaghan O'Hare/Bloomberg via Getty Images

President Biden has made the COVID-19 crisis and a post-Trump return to national unity and traditional democratic ideals his top priorities. From vaccinations to stimulus to schools, Biden is seeking bipartisan compromise while showing a willingness to use executive authority and bare Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to implement his policies. Republican leaders are navigating deep party divisions over if and how to move beyond former President Trump.

Politics & Policy

Rainfall records tumbled in Washington state on Thanksgiving night as the first of two atmospheric river events forecast for this week began threatening the Pacific Northwest, per the National Weather Service.

Why it matters: The region is still recovering from last week's atmospheric river that brought record rainfall, flooding and mudslides, with Washington and Canada's British Columbia particularly badly hit.

The new storm was pummeling areas hit by last week's storm — with Bellingham in Whatcom County, Washington, setting a fresh rainfall record, according to the NWS. County officials assessing damage from last week's storm estimate it could have cost as much as $50 million, per AP.

Across the border in Canada, British Columbia officials warned there could be flooding in areas where flood recovery efforts from last week's storm were continuing.

Threat level: A "new Atmospheric River containing rich subtropical Pacific moisture" taking aim at the Pacific Northwest was expected to generate moderate-to-heavy rainfall overnight and again on Saturday, according to the NWS.

"A prolonged stretch of moderate-to-heavy rainfall combined with rapid snow melt could lead to excess runoff," the agency said. 

"This may result in quickly rising creeks and streams, making localized flooding a possibility in parts of western Washington. 

"Locally heavy rainfall is also possible in far northwestern Oregon, but the heaviest rainfall totals (1 to 3 inches) are most likely to occur in the Olympics and northern Cascades. "

In British Columbia, a flood watch was issued for parts of the south coast.

The Fraser Valley was expecting up to 2 more inches of rain to fall by Friday morning, CBC News reports.

What's next: There'll be a brief respite Friday, but more heavy rain is expected to arrive late Saturday, according to the weather service. 

"This next Atmospheric River event is expected to produce an additional 1 to 3 inches of rain across the Olympics and northern Cascades beginning Saturday afternoon, with locally higher amounts possible," the NWS said. 

"Given the recent periods of heavy rainfall, flooding and excessive runoff will undoubtedly be a concern once again."

Meanwhile, residents in Southern California are facing an intense Santa Ana wind event through Friday. High wind warnings have been posted along the mountain ranges and coastal regions. 

This combined with "dangerously low humidity levels" has triggered red flag and critical risk wildfire warnings to be issued by the Storm Prediction Center for much of the Southern California mountains and adjacent foothills. 

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.

Flood-ravaged Pacific Northwest hit by more record rainfall

Forecasters are warning parts of western Washington could be hit by more flooding, a week on from the last devastating storm.

Satellite images taken last Friday of flooding in Sumas Prairie to the east of Abbotsford in British Columbia, Canada, near the border with the U.S., last Friday.

Satellite images taken last Friday of flooding in the Sumas Prairie to the east of Abbotsford in British Columbia, Canada, near the border with the U.S. Photo: Maxar Technologies

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Extreme weather

Climate change

A look at the scientific breakthroughs changing the world, explorations in space and in worlds beyond our own and the threats posed to us by our own planet, both out of our control and of our own making.

Science

A methane gas leak and explosion at a Siberian coal mine killed at least 52 people on Thursday, including six rescuers, Russian officials said.

The big picture: Russia's worst mining disaster in more than a decade occurred at the Listvyazhnaya mine in the Kemerovo region after gas filled a ventilation shaft, suffocating workers there, per the New York Times. 

The Russian Investigative Committee said in a statement it has opened a criminal investigation into Thursday morning's disaster. 

The mine's director and his deputy have been arrested on suspicion of violating safety rules, the agency said.

Authorities announced later in the day they were suspending rescue operations due to "high concentration of methane in the mine," the NYT reports. 

By the numbers: 285 people were in the mine some 820 feet underground when the disaster struck, according to AP.

Russian coal mine blast kills at least 52 people

The Russian Investigative Committee said the mine's director has been arrested on suspicion of violating safety rules.

Russian Emergencies Ministry employees work at the Listvyazhnaya coal mine in the town of Belovo in the Kuznetsk Coal Basin in Kemerovo Region, southwestern Siberia. 

Russian Emergencies Ministry employees work at the Listvyazhnaya coal mine in the town of Belovo in the Kuznetsk Coal Basin in Kemerovo Region, southwestern Siberia. Photo: TASS via Getty Images

Russia

China is becoming the most formidable rival America has faced, and the risk of confrontation with Russia, North Korea or Iran still looms. Authoritarians are rising, the chaotic Afghanistan exit revealed the limits of U.S. power, and the pandemic, climate change and other critical challenges continue to pose grave threats.

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Saturday's energy & environment stories

Pity the "green" car buyer

Department of Interior proposes raising cost of drilling on public lands

Flood-ravaged Pacific Northwest hit by more record rainfall

Russian coal mine blast kills at least 52 people