Edward Ferguson

Beset by impossible political demands, huge legacy costs, and an erosion in its core business, America’s mail-delivery service is struggling valiantly to break even.

After soaring to prominence, the plastic clog-maker has suffered a series of setbacks in the past two years.

Electric vehicles remain very much a niche market. But as BMW, one of the world’s largest automakers, formally enters the fray, that may begin to change.

As Apple’s stock price has fallen, many investors and analysts have questioned whether the company still has what it takes to succeed in the cutthroat technology world. Apple’s latest earnings suggest that it does.

When the electrical grid is under stress, dialing down usage is as important as bringing new power on line. By paying companies to dim the lights during heat waves, a company in Boston operates a giant virtual power plant.

The Silicon Valley electric car manufacturer has plowed through its adolescence and is showing signs of maturity. Having paid back its government loan and turned a profit, it is now being invited into an exclusive stock market club.

Like idle hands, idle vehicle motors are a big threat. They waste energy and cause pollution. Simple technology solutions that shut off engines when they’re not in use can lead to huge savings.

Cars that run partially or entirely on electricity make up a tiny sliver of the vast U.S. car market. But companies selling them posted big gains in June.