EDITOR'S PICK

Electric Trucks Are Already Lower Carbon Than Rail In Much Of North America

21 May 2024 | Synopsis

"It's a bit rich [for rail] to brag about how low carbon your transportation mode is if your primary load is high carbon, and about 33% of North American rail loads are coal and oil...

"...at California's electricity carbon intensity for 2023 of 272.4 g CO2e/kWh, delivering the same load with electric semis would result in under five metric tons of carbon dioxide, while running on rail would emit over five tons...while California is better than the US average, it?s not even close to best of breed in North America"

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A 100 Percent Tariff on Chinese Cars Is a Bad Idea. Here's a Good One

21 May 2024 | Synopsis

"Collaboration with Chinese firms may sound counterintuitive. But U.S. automakers are already doing it."

"Companies are investing more in clean technology, including $12 billion last year alone in electric vehicle supply chains. U.S. electric vehicle sales are climbing, albeit at a more modest pace...major question is around how competitive the U.S. electric vehicle sector will be globally...U.S. firms are not going to be competing...but they will lose the entire world market to leaner, meaner, shinier Chinese cars."

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Ph.D. Student Debunks Common Financial Myth About Clean Energy: 'Millions Of Dollars Directly Influencing Politicians'

21 May 2024 | Synopsis

"Rosh...is helping to cut through the noise in his recent video, which examines where the dirty energy sector is investing some of its money...newly released internal documents shed light on the dirty energy sector's role in spreading climate disinformation to protect its bottom line

"'Follow the money', with regards to climate change...As if it leads anywhere other than the fossil fuel industry."

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China's EV Makers Are Having More Trouble Paying Their Bills And Now Take 2 To 3 Times Longer Than Tesla Does

20 May 2024 | Synopsis

"Nio Inc. was taking around 295 days to clear its receipts payable, the vast majority of which are owed to suppliers, at the end of 2023 versus 197 days in 2021... Xpeng Inc., another US-listed Chinese EV maker, was taking 221 days to honor its obligations to vendors and related parties, up from 179 days

" Tesla Inc., by comparison, only took around 101 days, and that period has remained largely stable in the past three years"

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Michigan Leaders Celebrate Historic Clean Car Standards

20 May 2024 | Synopsis

"The final rule, Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for Model Years 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles, was announced in March.

"State Rep. Martus [pictured]...believes [climate and good jobs] go hand-in-hand...consumers will eventually see the prices of the vehicles come down - making them just as competitive, if not more so, than traditional vehicles.

"...new standards will phase in over model years 2027 through 2032.

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Study: EV, Plug-in Hybrid Battery Replacements Rare

18 May 2024 | Synopsis

"Just 1.5% of electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) have needed their batteries replaced since 2011, according to a new study.

"Batteries have grown more reliable in recent years. The Energy Department explains, “replacement rates due to failure were well under 1%” for cars from model years 2016 and later.

"The battery is the most expensive part of any electric vehicle, and many potential EV buyers have cited fears about battery replacement costs as a reason to hold back."

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Electric Hypercar Manufacturer Calls Out Mate Rimac: 'Sorry Mate, But I'm Not Going Back!'

18 May 2024 | Synopsis

"Gianfranco Pizzuto's comments come days after Mate Rimac said Rimac is looking at alternative drivetrain solutions for future models.

"...advocates for electric drivetrains in hypercars instead of gas-powered engines...Pizzuto argues that electric drivetrains are the way forward for hypercars...me, for us at Automobili Estrema, there is no reason to change the development of the Fulminea full-electric powertrain."

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Here's Why So Many Republicans Won't Buy EVs

18 May 2024 | Synopsis

"...there is one thing holding the nation back from the dream of an all-electric future: political polarization.

"Washington Post-University of Maryland poll last year found that 46 percent of respondents favored a gas car, compared to 19 percent who wanted a fully electric vehicle...61 percent of Democrats reported that they were 'seriously considering' or 'might consider' buying an EV in the future - compared to only 24 percent of Republicans.

"...Republican leaders have injected electric vehicles into the culture wars..."

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Probing a $69,000 Chinese Electric Vehicle for Clues on Spying

18 May 2024 | Synopsis

"'Project Lion Cage' seeks to determine how much data Chinese electric vehicles collect and send back to China.

"A single electric vehicle can use 2,000 to 3,000 chips, about twice as many as a gas-powered one...standard tools used by cybersecurity researchers to extract data from PCs and servers simply don't work on EVs...team haven't uncovered any bombshells about the NIO ES8, but that they have found some potential areas of concern..."

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How China Rose To Lead The World In EV Cars And Solar Panels

18 May 2024 | Synopsis

"The plan was for China to replace key imports in 10 advanced manufacturing industries by making its own products. The state-controlled banking system directed loans to those key sectors...more than 99% of Chinese companies whose stock trades publicly received direct government subsidies in 2022...

"China's top leaders have heavily subsidised the research and production of battery electric cars for the past 15 years."

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13 Ways Of Looking At Biden's New China Tariffs

16 May 2024 | Synopsis

"U.S. imports relatively few electric vehicles from China, and the few vehicles that we do import - which are made by the Chinese-owned brands Volvo and Polestar - may not be affected by these levies...

"Many of these categories already faced trade levies imposed by the [previous] administration, and Biden has now raised them...affect sectors where China now dominates the global industry. The longer timeline suggests that the White House is trying not to disrupt the near-term market too much...giving companies a deadline to diversify their supply chains."

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A Second Wave Of EV Shoppers Is On Its Way, But Current Demand Is Still A Problem

16 May 2024 | Synopsis

"Today's electric-vehicle skeptics are on their way to becoming the next EV buyers, Cox Automotive said...in a report...sees a 'second, significant wave' of EV shoppers by the second half of the decade. The same study, however, found that nearly half of all people shopping for vehicles today are not considering an EV...within the next 10 years, '80% of today's skeptics will be ready to consider an EV as more barriers fall..."

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