Stellantis, formerly PSA, has warned that if the UK and EU do not adjust the so-called rules of origin requirements for the automotive industry, they may be forced to close their factory at Ellesmere Port in north-west England. These tariffs are set to rise to 10% for exports next year. This story shows that Brexit is becoming a ‘live’ issue again, especially as Sir Keir wants to arrest the slow death of the car industry, but doesn’t want to join a customs union with the EU? It raises broader questions about how ambitious the UK should be in the five-year review of the TCA in 2025, and with EU relations more generally. The Windsor framework deal has unblocked relations with Brussels but the Windsor framework still needs to be delivered in practice.
Proposed new EPA regulations mandating that at least 60% of new cars sold from 2030 be electric will increase costs for Americans, as expensive charging and battery replacement become the norm, claims SEPP, a Washington-based group devoted to climate policy. The group has also trafficked in misinformation, calling global warming a “hoax.” It argues that the costs of the proposed battery electric vehicle, batteries, charging stations and increased electricity demand will make it difficult for Americans to upgrade their cars in future, limiting future mobility and leading to a further rise in wealth inequality.
The economic issues surrounding the use of electric vehicles (EVs) in the US, including their cost, convenience, and environmental impact, are outlined in a recent episode of the Heritage Foundation's Heritage Explains podcast. The Biden administration's new regulations requiring EVs to represent at least 54% of all new vehicles sold in 2030 will have an adverse economic impact on the country, the podcast's guest speaker warned. Furthermore, the reliance on China for EV production will make it economically stronger while weakening the US economy. Trillions of dollars would, therefore, be wasted on EV production to benefit China, which makes solar panels, wind turbines, and electric batteries.
US President Joe Biden’s drive to make electric vehicles (EVs) more popular is highly unrealistic and would make cars unaffordable and unwanted, according to a Wall Street Journal editorial. The author compares Biden to the deluded hero of Miguel de Cervantes’ novel Don Quixote and says his goal of 54% of new cars in America being EVs by 2030 is not achievable due to a lack of raw materials. There would be huge increases in demand for lithium, graphite, nickel and rare earth metals, but mining is being blocked, the editorial warns.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a change to the Renewable Fuel Standard that would push fuel supplies lower and make them more expensive. The EPA is allowing auto companies to generate “eRINs” they will sell to oil refiners, which means the standards could be dominated by electric vehicles, taking money from gasoline and diesel customers. Such a transformation could hit producers of transportation fuels, raise prices and endanger national security as the US would become more dependent on China, which dominates the EV supply chain. The EPA should scrap the proposal for the good of producers, consumers and national security, writes Dr. John Grizz Deal, CEO of IX Power Clean Water, an advanced water treatment technology company.
Despite the Biden administration's announcement of federal vehicle electrification targets that would require over 60% of new car sales to be battery-powered electric vehicles (EVs) by 2030, compared to under 6% in 2022, for the US, a new report has highlighted the carbon footprint created by producing and powering EV batteries. The report, which argues that EVs can create more carbon emissions than gas-powered vehicles when total lifecycle emissions are taken into account, highlights that the majority of the electricity used to power EVs is not generated from wind or solar power, but fossil fuels.
Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Nio has invested $150m in Neo Fusion, a start-up that is developing technology toward bringing commercial controlled fusion to market globally within two decades. Nio and affiliate Nio Capital have taken a 19.9% stake and 10.1% stake respectively in the company, with $689m and $349m from other sources. Neo Fusion is 50% owned by China's Anhui provincial government, according to a company registration filing seen by Reuters. Fusion technology could help the world curb emissions linked to climate change, according to market observers.
London's Ultra-Low Emission Zone (Ulez) is to be expanded across all the city's boroughs from August. The expansion means that drivers of non-compliant cars will be billed £12.50 ($17) for each day their vehicle drives in Greater London. Low-emission petrol cars, EVs and “classic cars” – those that are at least 40 years old – are exempt. Critics argue that the charge is too much of a money-spinner for the mayor.
Canada's decision to create an EV supply chain might be a mistake, according to a Globe and Mail opinion piece. It argues that, on several fronts, supporting EVs is both irresponsible and crazed. For example, the author claims that despite being presented as planet-savers, EVs and hybrid cars play a part in an ever-expanding car culture, which harms cities and the environment alike. Furthermore, they argue that EVs do not solve wider environmental issues, as the supply chain is notoriously carbon-intensive, and building more and more power plants to service millions of EVs has knock-on environmental consequences too.
Panasonic and Marubeni are partnering to create a joint venture to supply Japanese logistics companies with all-electric commercial vehicles and recharging equipment. The two firms are intending to create a 50-50 venture before June, and are already conducting talks with logistics companies. They hope to have 100s of EVs in service within 2 years, mainly short-to-medium haul vehicles.
Battery technology is advancing with silicon anode materials potentially transforming the EV market within a few years. Silicon anodes have been experimented with since the 1970s but lithium-silicon batteries have made huge leaps in the last few years, becoming known for their high performance and energy density. Silicon anodes are known for their high volume expansion when heated during charging but a 3D carbon structure in the battery can contain the expansion. Israel-based company StoreDot is at the pinnacle of silicon anode development and is expected to bring this new silicon battery technology to the premium EV market within the next couple of years.
As the West surges toward electric cars, here’s where the unwanted gas guzzlers go
CNN
23-05-21 04:49
The West’s shift to electric vehicles could result in millions of gas-guzzling cars being exported to West Africa and other developing countries, where demand for used vehicles is growing. Benin is one of Africa’s top importers of used vehicles, many of which are shipped thousands of miles from countries such as Japan, South Korea, Europe and the United States. The global market for used light-duty vehicles grew by almost 20% from 2015 to 2019, when over 4.8 million were exported. In Kenya and Nigeria, for example, more than 90% of cars and trucks are used imports. As electric vehicles become more popular in developed countries, more older gas-powered models will be shipped overseas. Experts warn that this will divert climate and environmental problems to countries already vulnerable to climate change and damage their attempts to cut planet-warming pollution. Regulations aimed at reducing pollution and increasing safety for imported cars into West Africa have tended to be weak. But Benin and 14 other members of the Economic Community of West African States have agreed in principle to a set of vehicle emissions regulations in the region.
UK carmakers warn that they are not ready for the "rules of origin" requirements for electric vehicles set out in post-Brexit trade agreements between the UK and the EU. From 2024, EVs traded between the UK and the EU must have 45% of their parts sourced from either region or face 10% tariffs. Carmakers may not be able to meet this requirement due to problems caused by the domestic supply chain and market competition. The UK currently lags behind Europe's 30 planned battery gigafactories and its electric automakers cannot rely on political help from Westminster.
Fewer than one-quarter of surveyed British customers would invest in an electric car (EV) when they go on sale in the UK in 2025, according to data from insurer Aviva and The Daily Telegraph. However, the poll revealed that customers saw lower running costs and environmental benefits as positive factors of owning an EV, though more than 50% still believed the cars were less safe than petrol cars. Respondents also said the cost of EVs and the lack of charging points around the country were hampering adoption. The figures conflict with recent research carried out by the RAC Foundation and the International Council for Clean Transport, which found EV uptake rates could climb to one-third of new car sales by 2025 if the motivation was there for consumers.
Most buyers of electric vehicles should opt to install a Level 2 charge point at home. While earlier EV models were able to charge overnight from a standard 120-volt outlet, newer models with bigger batteries would take several days to fully charge at Level 1. A Level 2 charger allows owners to achieve a full charge from a typical 240-volt outlet in less than eight hours. The cost of Level 2 charge point installation ranges from $500-$1,500 depending on the model and labour costs. Rebates are available for home Level 2 charge points in some Canadian territories and provinces.
The Group of Seven (G7) announced a 1,600-word statement on economic security covering trade-distorting subsidies, cybertheft, and more. The statement indicated the G7 would use early warnings and rapid information sharing and explore "co-ordinated responses" to counter economic coercion, according to the FT's Alan Beattie. However, further action will not be automatic and leaves participating countries to uphold their "respective legal systems" to counter economic coercion. The announcement serves as a rhetorical commitment to support countries affected by coercive trade blockades. Nevertheless, Australia's response to Chinese trade embargoes may be an effective strategy as companies' primary tactic was to adjust and not make noise or show weakness.
Ford has signed supply agreements with top lithium producers Albemarle and SQM, along with three smaller developers, as it seeks to shrink what it sees as a $7bn cost gap with rivals. The companies will provide Ford with the silvery-white metal needed for electric vehicle (EV) batteries. Other auto manufacturers have sought to secure their own supplies of lithium and other EV metals, including General Motors, which has made a $650m investment in miner Lithium Americas and a $200m payment to Livent to lock in metal supplies.
