EDITOR'S CHOICE

Polestar Wants You to Know Where Its EV Battery Materials Come From

18 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"...the company inked a partnership with Circulor, a London firm that had already been using its blockchain-based system to trace cobalt supplies for Polestar's batteries...Tracing raw materials back to mines is not an easy task and risks revealing ugly truths about how labor rights and environmental protection are neglected...For batteries in the Polestar 2 sedan, Circular tracks cobalt and mica; for the upcoming Polestar 3 SUV, it will also trace lithium and nickel."

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Some German Cities Are Offering Drivers Free Public Transport. But There's A Catch.

18 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"The catch? You have to surrender your driving licence."

The program is a bid to combat traffic congestion and promote environmentally friendly transport. Participants can gain a free Deutschlandticket, usually priced at €49 per month...Germany is a world-leader on public transport infrastructure...In 2023, a maximum of 1,000 Deutschlandtickets will be issued, and 500 in each of the following two years."

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How Big Oil Is Using Friendly Judges To Muzzle Free Speech

17 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"5th Circuit Court of Appeals...[ruled] that the Biden administration had violated the First Amendment by encouraging social media platforms to take down false information...federal and state governments have been quietly and increasingly criminalizing the most basic form of protected speech: protest...they all stem from sample legislation, written by the American Fuel and Petrochemicals Manufacturers trade group..."

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The UAW Strike And The Inexorable Math Of Electric Vehicles

17 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"The traditional internal combustion engine has more than 1,000 parts. New electric engines have about 50...As EVs take over, this will no longer be the case. Forget about AI. This is the job destruction that's guaranteed to happen soon...Ford CEO Jim Farley told the Financial Times that manufacturing EVs requires about 40% less labor than making the same number of internal combustion vehicles...Whatever the outcome of the strike, Elon Musk has already won..."

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Battle Over Electric Vehicles Is Central to Auto Strike

17 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"The strike has come as the traditional automakers invest billions to develop electric vehicles while still making most of their money from gasoline-driven cars...Workers are trying to defend jobs as manufacturing shifts from internal combustion engines to batteries

"...The three companies are already struggling to get their electric vehicle business going. Those problems and Tesla's growing sales could put the union in a strong position..."

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How China is incentivising production of electric vehicles

17 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"The number of Chinese-made electric cars going to Europe has soared...prompting the EU to [investigate]...whether those vehicles are being unfairly subsidised...how does China subsidise its electric car sector and to what extent?

"...incomplete accounting shows the benefits can be extensive, ranging from preferential treatment such as cheap land or capital to policies that outright exclude foreign competitors."

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UK Carmakers Urged To Stop Prioritising SUVs Over Smaller & More Affordable Electric Cars

17 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

Smaller EVs could help those on lower incomes gain from the benefits of using EVs as well as more efficient use of critical raw materials essential in efforts to achieve net zero...22% of new car buyers already intend to buy an electric car in the next year...

"...the big six European carmakers³ have abandoned small affordable cars in pursuit of profits that have grown far faster than inflation...T&E UK is calling on the government to create conditions for car companies to prioritise small electric cars..."

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China's Auto Industry Shows Why GM and Ford Are Stuck in a Catch-22

16 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"Battery-electric vehicles' penetration of new car sales in China is set to finish 2023 at roughly 25%...automaker profit margins have declined as their core market has given up ground to battery-powered cars...Profit margins should be rising for car companies when industry volumes are strong. But the bulk of the gains are accruing to EVs..

"...the crux of the problem for Ford (F) and GM (GM). If they don?t invest aggressively in EVs, they risk losing market share and seeing profitability erode. And if they invest in EVs - which both are - there is no guarantee they will win against upstarts such as Tesla and Rivian..."

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There's An Affordable EV Out There Displacing Twice As Much Oil As Electric Cars

16 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"Compared to electric passenger cars, e-buses, and e-trucks, it’s electric bikes and trikes that are displacing the most oil usage - more than twice all of those larger EVs combined.

"Electric bikes are more than 10x more efficient than electric passenger cars, meaning the same amount of battery needed for a 20-mile commute in an electric car could power an e-bike for over 200 miles...a 2019 Belgian study found that a mere 10% shift in car drivers to bike riders resulted in a 40% reduction in road traffic."

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Why The Automotive Industry Doesn't Need A 900-Mile EV Range From A Solid-State Battery

16 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"Solid-state batteries are gaining traction in the automotive industry due to their numerous advantages over traditional lithium-ion batteries...One major advantage is their increased energy density, allowing for longer driving ranges on a single charge...Toyota, even advocate for 900-mile ranges from solid-state batteries. But is this really necessary?...a 300-400 mile range is already quite substantial for most daily commuting needs..."

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Airbus 'Will Be Ready' To Develop Hydrogen-Powered Aircraft By 2035 Goal: CEO

16 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"Hydrogen emits only water when burned or used to produce electricity, giving it promise as a means by which the aviation industry can cut carbon emissions

"Airbus Americas CEO Jeffrey Knittel says several years of evaluation has left Airbus more sure of the technology..."We're going to make a decision on whether it's a fuel cell or a [direct-burn propulsion system]" in 2026 or 2027.

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GOP-Controlled House Passes Bill Targeting California's EV Mandate

16 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"The legislation...would bar states from limiting the sales of gas-powered cars and rescind any federal approvals for states to do so that were issued since the start of 2022...The bill does not explicitly mention California.

"...legislation is not expected to advance or become law...the bill represents another point where Republicans can criticize the Biden administration as energy policies..."

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