Auto Manufacturers
BP Stakes Claim In Chinese Charging Market.
According to E&E News, “BP is jumping into the Chinese electric vehicle field with an early-stage investment in PowerShare, a Chinese charging firm, the energy giant announced yesterday.
BP Ventures did not disclose how much money it is putting into PowerShare in the Series A funding round, which it joined along with Detong Capital Partners, a Chinese venture capital firm that has more than $1.4 billion in investments, according to BP. ‘China
is the world’s largest EV market and a key market for BP as we seek to expand our advanced mobility offer,’ said BP Deputy Chief Executive Lamar McKay. PowerShare was founded in 2015 and provides an online platform for EV drivers and providers, while also
providing tools to monitor and balance vehicle power demand with grid capacity, BP said. PowerShare CEO and founder Ethan Zhu said the company has worked with Chinese and foreign auto manufacturers to develop its technology.” [E&E News,
1/25/19 (=)]
On The Road To Self-Driving Cars, Experience Matters.
According to Axios, “The field is wide open for autonomous vehicle developers, making it hard to predict winners and losers. But look closely: the ones inching toward commercialization
are quietly putting important building blocks in place. Why it matters: There are many brilliant teams working on driverless car technology. But enabling a robot vehicle to drive from Point A to Point B is just the start—commercializing AVs will take a lot
more work. To scale up, companies need the right leaders and experienced partners. Show less What’s happening: Smart players are forging new relationships with companies that can help them progress toward commercialization. Waymo this week tapped Magna, a
big Canadian auto supplier, to integrate its self-driving system into thousands of Chrysler and Jaguar vehicles at a planned factory in Michigan. Velodyne, a leader in lidar sensors, just licensed its technology to Veoneer, another experienced auto supplier,
to deliver a new automotive grade lidar system for an unnamed carmaker.” [Axios,
1/25/19 (=)]
U.S. Govt Shutdown Threatens Rollout Of New Car Models – Automakers.
According to Reuters, “The partial U.S. government shutdown is threatening to delay the roll-out of new vehicle models in the United States by stalling required certifications from
the Environmental Protection Agency, automakers said. The shutdown, at 34 days the longest in history, has left over 800,000 federal agency workers without pay and had an impact on everything from access to national parks to airline security screening to the
release of economic data. Some 95 percent of EPA staff has been furloughed, including those at the lab in Ann Arbor, Michigan, responsible for verifying emissions data for new automotive models to ensure they comply with clean air laws. GM has not yet had
any vehicle launch delays but ‘like other automakers, we are currently awaiting decisions in the certification process for a few model year 2019 and 2020 vehicles,’ spokeswoman Jeannine Ginivan said. Fiat Chrysler Chief Executive Officer Mike Manley said at
the Detroit Auto Show last week that the shutdown had delayed final certification of FCA’s new RAM 3500 heavy-duty pickup truck, one of its most profitable segments.” [Reuters,
1/24/19 (=)]
Election 2020
Biden Fought This Climate Policy Before Embracing It.
According to E&E News, “Joe Biden has a history with cars. ‘I shouldn’t say this on television — I like speed,’
the then-vice president said on an episode of ‘Jay Leno’s Garage’ before doing a burnout in his classic Corvette, its engine restored by his sons as a Christmas gift. Biden’s own father was a used car salesman. Cars even animated The
Onion’s satirical portrayal of ‘Diamond’ Joe Biden: ‘They don’t make kick-ass T-tops like this anymore, sweetheart,’ his character says in the article headlined ‘Shirtless Biden Washes Trans Am In White House Driveway.’ Now, as Biden tops polls of potential
2020 Democratic presidential contenders, his up-and-down record on car standards could become a point of contention once candidates start touting their climate credentials. As vice president, Biden helped orchestrate the country’s landmark emissions standards
for automobiles, which have become America’s top source of greenhouse gases. He helped get the rulemaking process started early in Obama’s first term, while also selling the policy to longtime critics like auto executives, unions and Michigan’s congressional
delegation. Biden knew how to talk with the opponents because he used to be one of them. As Delaware’s senator, he spent years criticizing higher fuel efficiency standards.” [E&E News,
1/25/19 (=)]
Chad Ellwood
Research Associate
202.448.2877 ext. 119