Norway offers bus-lane access for electric vehicles, many recharging stations, privileged parking, and toll-free travel. The initiative began in the 1990s as an effort to cut pollution, congestion, and noise in urban centres; now its primary rationale is combating climate change. Today, Norway has the highest per capita number of all-electric [battery only] cars in the world. Last year, electric vehicles constituted nearly 40% of the nation's newly registered passenger cars. Earlier this year, Norway opened the world's largest fast-charging station, which can charge up to 28 vehicles in about half an hour. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/feb/07/power-to-the-ev-norway-spearheads-europes-electri

Hands Free Hectare is a barley farm in rural England that runs entirely without humans. The acre-and-a-half farm uses autonomous vehicles and drones to plant, tend and harvest the crop from start to finish, with no human intervention. http://www.handsfreehectare.com/

The world's biggest lithium-ion battery has been launched in South Australia. US tech giant Tesla won a bid in July to build a 129 megawatt hour (MWh) battery and the state is counting on it to be ready by the start of the southern summer in December when electricity demand begins to peak. Tesla was selected from over 90 competitive bids to provide the entire energy storage component of a 100 MW/129 MWh Powerpack System to be paired with global renewable energy provider Neoen's Hornsdale Wind Farm near Jamestown, South Australia. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/technology/musk-weatherill-launch-sa-battery/news-story/6215cc6853ca0268d39fcb374ec63a01?

On a side of the Eureka Tower, on Melbourne's Southbank, you'll find a colony of giant golden bees. It's a giant sculpture made from anodized aluminium. These creatures are a gleaming metaphor for a hive of frenetic activity and harmonious high-density city living. Eureka Tower is a 297.3-metre (975?ft) skyscraper that once was the world's tallest residential tower when measured to its highest floor. It was surpassed by Ocean Heights and the HHHR Tower in Dubai. https://www.onlymelbourne.com.au/m/15356/queen-bee-eureka-tower

Daimler plans to offer electric versions of every Mercedes-Benz model by 2022. To support this plan, Mercedez-Benz's Smart city car brand will evolve into an entirely electric brand. Daimler reps have stated that they will offer at least 50 versions of passenger cars in hybrid and fully electric variants. Volvo, Jaguar and now Mercedes-Benz have committed to roll out a fleet of fully electric or hybrid models within the next five years.

The New Zealand government is experimenting with a private prison model designed to discourage inmates from returning. The Auckland South Correctional Facility, known as Wiri, is the largest privately run prison in New Zealand. But what sets it apart is its bold application of an approach called payment-by-results, which links payments to outcomes. For Wiri, those outcomes include a 10 percent reduction in the rate of recidivism. This model contrasts with others in the US where private prisons gain revenue the more people are imprisoned. This year, Geo Group, the second-largest prison operator in the U.S., will begin operation of another prison using the Wiri model?in Australia. https://www-citylab-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.citylab.com/amp/article/538506/