SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. (KEYT) Current electric car buyers and longtime owners may drive away feeling smug.

There are even memes saying as much.

As fuel prices rise CarEdge detected a 20 percent hike in electric car online searches.

Drivers charging their electric cars had time to talk about the spike in interest.

"We got the car a few years ago when gas priced weren't as much, but it is very convenient not going to gas station and not worrying about that," said Lisa Mufson behind the wheel of her electric BMW.

Electric Audi driver Yvonne Tulloch agrees.

"With the price of gas, now this is way more economical, "said Tulloch.

She is enjoying free charging that comes with the first few years of owning her Audi.

"I wanted to contribute to environment," said Tulloch.

Even though incentives to buy electric have been phased out and fuel efficiency regulations have been rolled back, people are trading gas guzzlers for electric and hybrids.

Abraham Chapman drove with his mother to charge her electric VW behind a local bank.

He would like to own his own an all electric vehicle some day.

Cities and private property owners are investing in charging stations to keep up. 

One new charging area in a lot off Chapala and Carrillo in Santa Barbara is under construction.

It is a private lot that looks to be ready to open this Spring.

Electric vehicle sales slipped last year to 7.8 percent of all sales.

That could change as the war with Iran pushes prices up at the pump.

Your News Channel will have more on the surge in electric and hybrid interest tonight on the news.

The post Gas prices spike interest in electric vehicles appeared first on News Channel 3-12.

By Stephanie Yang, CNN

(CNN) — A historic oil shock and surging fuel prices are strengthening the case for electric vehicles. China’s EV makers are eager to deliver.

The United States and Israel’s war against Iran has disrupted critical fossil fuel supplies from the Middle East, pushing up crude oil prices to as high as $119 a barrel last week. This has sparked fears of worsened inflation, or even a global recession.

But the turmoil couldn’t have come at a better time for China’s EV industry. While China manufactures and exports more electric cars than any other nation, its carmakers face fierce price competition and slowing growth at home. Chinese brands are under increasing pressure to find other markets.

Now, as Chinese EVs are getting cheaper, gasoline is getting more expensive. That combination will likely turbocharge the industry’s global expansion, analysts said, particularly among Asian nations bearing the brunt of the fuel shortage.

“There’s potential for Chinese brands to make a ton of inroads into Asia on the backs of higher petrol costs,” said Tu Le, managing director at Sino Auto Insights, a car-focused consultancy. “I would look for them to take full advantage of that.”

Despite growing investment in renewable energy in Asia, the three-week long conflict in the Middle East has illuminated the region’s continued reliance on oil imports. About 60% of Asia’s crude supply comes from the Middle East via the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has severely restricted the flow of cargo.

In a recent report, Ember, an energy think tank, called EVs “the largest lever to cut import bills,” and estimated that the use of EVs last year curbed global crude consumption by 1.7 million barrels per day – about 70% of Iran’s exports in 2025.

Accelerating adoption

Similar to how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine drove renewable energy investment in Europe, analysts said the current oil crisis could be another turning point for the clean energy industry in Asia.

“When it’s one price spike in a low inflation environment, people can write it off,” said Lauri Myllyvirta, lead analyst and co-founder of the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. “When there’s another, it could be a ‘fool me twice’ moment that drives home the fact that prices are volatile and driving a petrol vehicle just keeps you exposed to them.”

In China, which gets more than 40% of its oil from the Middle East, a shift toward renewable energy has paid off. With the world’s largest stockpile of oil reserves, and as its biggest generator of wind and solar power, China is better insulated from the energy crisis than other Asian nations.

Myllyvirta estimates that the spread of EVs in China, which account for about 50% of new car sales and about 12% of all registered vehicles, cut the country’s oil consumption by nearly 10% last year.

“From China’s perspective, this scenario is exactly what has been at the back of their minds when they have been pursuing their energy security strategy,” he said.

Zhu Zhaoyi, executive director of the Institute

Por Andrew Freedman, CNN

La herramienta de planeación de huracanes que los meteorólogos y los gestores de emergencias utilizan para tomar decisiones críticas, incluida la orden de evacuaciones, está a punto de volverse inaccesible por un período indefinido tras el vencimiento del contrato federal que la rige.

La herramienta basada en la web, conocida como HURREVAC, es propiedad de la Agencia Federal para el Manejo de Emergencias (FEMA, por sus siglas en inglés) y está financiada por esta agencia, pero es administrada por el Cuerpo de Ingenieros del Ejército a través de un acuerdo interinstitucional. Ese acuerdo no ha sido renovado, lo que también está retrasando el contrato.

Funcionarios dentro de FEMA, así como meteorólogos externos y la Asociación Internacional de Gestores de Emergencias, advierten que la situación prácticamente garantiza que el acceso a la base de datos será cortado — y pronto.

El programa HURREVAC permite a los funcionarios locales simular huracanes históricos, así como crear tormentas futuras sintéticas con gran detalle. Se utiliza para ejercicios de capacitación entre meteorólogos del Servicio Meteorológico Nacional y funcionarios de gestión de emergencias para cuando un huracán real impacta.

La herramienta es utilizada por decenas de miles de comunidades e incorpora información sobre inundaciones por marejada ciclónica mediante una herramienta de modelado de marejada del Servicio Meteorológico Nacional llamada SLOSH, cuyo acceso también podría verse afectado por el mismo acuerdo interinstitucional y el vencimiento del contrato relacionado.

Dentro de FEMA, los funcionarios han estado intentando que se apruebe un nuevo acuerdo de cooperación durante meses, pero esto se ha complicado por el oneroso proceso de aprobación de contratos del departamento bajo la exsecretaria de Seguridad Nacional Kristi Noem.

Ahora es la época del año en que normalmente comienza la capacitación en emergencias, con el inicio de la temporada de huracanes del Atlántico de 2026 a unos tres meses de distancia, según Brian LaMarre, exmeteorólogo en jefe de la oficina de Tampa del Servicio Meteorológico Nacional, quien ahora es meteorólogo consultor del sector privado.

LaMarre advirtió que los retrasos en la realización de ejercicios de capacitación para la gestión de emergencias podrían hacer que la Costa del Golfo esté menos preparada durante la próxima temporada de tormentas. HURREVAC, dijo LaMarre, se “utiliza para realmente simular lo que una tormenta en particular puede hacer”, y hace mucho más que simplemente simular evacuaciones. Por ejemplo, el NWS y el personal de gestión de emergencias pueden simular una tormenta de cierta intensidad impactando a una comunidad desde diferentes direcciones, para mostrar cómo podrían diferir las alturas de la marejada ciclónica y las evacuaciones requeridas.

El objetivo de estas simulaciones es ayudar a los líderes locales a tomar decisiones de seguridad basadas en la información de pronóstico más reciente y el conocimiento histórico de los tiempos de evacuación, rutas y otros factores.

En una declaración del 18 de marzo, la IAEM, que representa a más de 6.000 gestores de emergencias, advirtió que interrumpir la herramienta de apoyo HURREVAC “privaría a los gestores de emergencias de visualizaciones vitales de marejada ciclónica, módulos de ejercicios y modelado de transporte justo cuando se acerca la temporada de huracanes”. El grupo señaló que el contrato de HURREVAC solo se extiende hasta el viernes.

HURREVAC también se utiliza durante la temporada de huracanes, cuando los funcionarios aprovechan la herramienta para ver e interrogar datos en vivo que pueden proporcionar apoyo a la toma de decisiones en tiempo real para tomar decisiones de vida o muerte, como indicar a partes de una comunidad que evacúen antes de que suban las aguas, dijo LaMarre.

Dijo que el “cono de incertidumbr

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) - With a list of concerns that comes with an ongoing debate about what's being done in downtown Santa Barbara, a business owner has a petition out seeking signatures.

Dylan Mancuso who owns Cuso's Creamery is reaching out to the public.

Signatures are being collected at the Farmers Market.

Cuso's is in the eye of the downtown evolution in Santa Barbara with a bike and creamery business on the 600 block between Cota Street and Ortega Street.

Three years into life in this prime downtown spot, multiple concerns have come up, leading to the petition.

It is written by "Concerned Residents, Business Owners, and Community Members" followed by MancusoforSB.com. A letter about the effort says in part, "State Street is the heart of downtown Santa Barbara and an essential part of the city’s economy, culture, and tourism. Families, visitors, and local residents rely on this area being safe and welcoming. In recent months, however, many in our community have observed an increase in safety concerns including aggressive or disruptive behavior, theft, vandalism, harassment of customers and staff, and drug-related activity."
The petition lists key concerns as:

• Aggressive or disruptive behavior
• Theft and vandalism
• Harassment of customers and staff
• Drug-related activity
• Groups of minors riding high-speed electric bicycles recklessly through pedestrian areas

It goes on to ask the City of Santa Barbara and the Santa Barbara Police Department to:

• Increase uniformed patrol presence along State Street
• Implement consistent foot patrols in pedestrian areas
• Enforce safety regulations related to electric bicycles
• Increase visibility during peak business and evening hours
• regulate unlicensed street vendors

The goal is 250 signatures.

As of Tuesday morning the site has received 96 signatures.

In recent weeks the Santa Barbara Police Department has increased its enforcement of vehicle and municipal code violations in the area including the crack down on reckless bike riders.  That includes impounding e-motorcycle-type bikes that are illegal on the street.   Fines for bike violations start at $100.   Teens can clear their tickets by passing  an in person two hours safety class.

The Chief of Police Kelly Gordon and her staff report regularly to the council on the analytics of their efforts which are up over 2024 and often rely on adequate staffing.

The Downtown Santa Barbara Improvement Association has been in the forefront of cleaning up the core downtown area, adding security cameras and looking into more safety features.  That also includes a rapid response to graffiti, trash

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) - It's going to be an evening of artwork and entertainment this Thursday in Santa Barbara.

 Businesses on Coast Village Road will be hosting shoppers and those who are out strolling for the evening.

It's the Coast Village "Beyond the Canvas" Spring Art Walk from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

With the clocks changing recently and the weather more welcoming, the businesses will keep their doors open later and offer live entertainment, sips, and bites.

Some artists and photographers will be on hand in-person to showcase their work.

There will also be a raffle for prizes including a one-night stay at the Rosewood Miramar Beach.

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The post Art Walk on Coast Village Road Paints a Welcoming Start to Spring appeared first on News Channel 3-12.