Auto Manufacturers
Germany Fines BMW $9.7M For Diesel Software Error.
According to E&E News, “German prosecutors have fined automaker BMW €8.5 million ($9.66 million) for lax oversight in installing defective engine software that led to excessive diesel
emissions in 7,965 cars. The prosecutors said today they found no evidence that the Munich-based carmaker committed fraud but faulted the company for what it called insufficient quality control. BMW said it ‘has consistently emphasized that the installation
of the incorrect software module was a frustrating and highly regrettable error.’ Therefore, it said, the company ‘accepts the penalty and will not appeal.’ The fine is small compared to the €27.4 billion in fines and settlements paid in the U.S. and elsewhere
by Volkswagen AG, which admitted intentionally manipulating engine software so diesel cars could pass emissions tests.” [E&E News,
2/25/19 (=)]
Electric Vehicles
S.E.C. Wants Elon Musk Held In Contempt Of Court For Tesla Post On Twitter.
According to the New York Times, “Elon Musk has put himself in legal trouble with a post on Twitter. Again. The Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday asked a federal court
to hold Mr. Musk, chief executive of Tesla, in contempt of court for violating a settlement that he and the company reached with the commission last year. The S.E.C. said Mr. Musk issued an updated production outlook in a Twitter post on last Tuesday without
first seeking approval from the company’s lawyers as required under the agreement. It was the latest in a series of episodes, including the one that led to the settlement, that have renewed questions about Mr. Musk’s judgment and the Tesla board’s ability
to oversee his actions. The commission sued Mr. Musk and Tesla last year over a Twitter post in which he said he had ‘funding secured’ to take the company private at $420 a share. It turned out that the plan to take the company private was in a much more embryonic
state than his tweet indicated. The settlement required the company to establish ‘mandatory procedures to oversee and preapprove Mr. Musk’s Tesla-related written communications’ that might have material information. Mr. Musk was required to step down as chairman,
and he and the company paid $20 million each in fines. The board named one of its members as chairwoman and appointed two new independent directors.” [New York Times,
2/25/19 (=)]
Why Tesla's Electric Cars Can Burn Hours After A Crash.
According to Mashable, “In a car crash, things can get fiery quickly — it doesn’t matter if you’re driving a Tesla Model X electric car or a traditional gas-fueled Honda Civic. That’s
what happened in a fatal crash in Florida over the weekend. A man speeding in a Tesla Model S lost control and drove into the median and some trees. His car burst into flames, and he died. In an email statement, a Tesla spokesperson said, ‘We are deeply saddened
by this accident and our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy. We have reached out to the local authorities to offer our cooperation. We understand that speed is being investigated as a factor in this crash, and know that high speed collisions
can result in a fire in any type of car, not just electric vehicles.’ Car fires after a crash are all too common: The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) puts crashes as the reason for 3 percent of car fires for any type of vehicle. But with an electric
vehicle, the car can burst into flames hours after the initial blaze. The NFPA puts out training materials for electric and hybrid vehicles for this very reason. In the Florida crash, which happened at around 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, the Model S kept burning in
the police tow yard into early Monday morning.” [Mashable,
2/25/19 (=)]
Electric Vehicles Can Lower Electricity Prices.
According to Clean Technica, “Regular readers of this column are well aware of the wonderful benefits of EV ownership. However, electric vehicles can also have a positive impact on
the electric grid, serving as the perfect complement to renewable energy sources. Jeff McMahon, writing in Forbes, notes that a growing body of evidence supports the idea that the spread of EVs is good news for electric ratepayers. “These vehicles plug
into our electricity system, and a number of cost-benefit studies are showing that this can be really beneficial to all ratepayers, not just the drivers of the vehicles,” said Matt Stanberry of the trade group Advanced Energy Economy (AEE). “As you increase
electricity sales for charging the vehicles, it has the effect of driving down rates for all ratepayers because it spreads the fixed cost of the system out across a larger volume of sales.” McMahon cites a 2017 study by M.J. Bradley & Associates, which analyzed
the impact of EVs in five US states, and found that the benefits flow not only to EV owners in saved fuel and maintenance costs, and to society in reduced carbon emissions, but also to electric ratepayers in the form of reduced fixed costs. In fact, the study
found that in some cases utility ratepayers benefited more than the EV owners themselves.” [Clean Technica,
2/25/19 (=)]
Electric Vehicles Are Approaching A Tipping Point — Here's Why.
According to the CBC, “Canadians are buying electric vehicles like never before, with a near doubling of sales in 2018 over the previous year. But while one in 11 new cars now being
sold is considered an EV, Canadians lean heavily toward electric-gas hybrids and remain reluctant to buy electric-only options. With the upcoming crop of improved electric vehicles, however, the market could be poised for a shift. ‘It’s a no-brainer,’ says
Arthur Potts, an EV proponent and renewable energy consultant. ‘They’re a little more expensive, but I think with the cost-benefit, you’re nuts to buy an internal combustion engine if you’re driving around the city.’ Indeed, electric-only EVs seem built for
urban and suburban commuters. More than 11 million Canadians drive to work or a transit hub every weekday. That commute, on average, is 23 kilometres each way — easily within the range of most plug-in, all-electric vehicles currently on the market. So why
are many drivers reticent to give up gas?” [CBC,
2/25/19 (=)]
States
Washington Clean Fuels Bill Clears Its First Big Hurdle.
According to Northwest Public Broadcasting, “Washington could soon join the ranks of its West Coast neighbors, requiring fuels at the pump that produce less carbon pollution. A low-carbon
fuels bill passed its first big test Monday, moving out of the House Appropriations Committee. Democrats passed the bill with a 19-14 party-line vote. It now heads to the full House. Supporters said the fossil fuel-based gas and diesel you put in the tank
of you car or truck pro are the biggest sources of greenhouse gasses and air pollution in the state. Opponents said the requirement to use more plant-based or bio-fuel to replace or blend with petroleum fuels could end up costing you more at the pump. And
that could place a disproportionate burden on rural and low-income drivers and farmers. Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon, D-Burien, sponsored the bill. He said it will help out clean fuel producers in Washington, like technologies that turn used cooking oil into biodiesel
or renewable natural gas generated from methane emissions at landfills.” [Northwest Public Broadcasting,
2/25/19 (=)]
Opinion Pieces
Op-Ed: Strong Fuel Efficiency Standards Would Be A Win For Motorists And Environment.
According to an op-ed by Sarah Fumei in the Driven, “Introducing standards to make Australia’s cars use less fuel would be a win-win policy for the environment and for motorists’
hip pocket. Senators from across the Federal Parliament agree. The final report from the Senate Select Committee on Electric Vehicles, released last month, recommended that Australia implement a fuel efficiency standard for new cars. Fuel efficiency standards
cap the average CO2emissions of all the new cars sold by each car company in Australia. This cap reduces fuel use, as cars need to be more efficient to generate lower CO2emissions. Australia needs policies to reduce emissions from transport.
Transport is one of the fastest growing sources of emissions in the Australian economy, with the Federal Government estimating that emissions from transport will grow by 9 per cent from 2018 to 2030. Fuel efficiency standards would reduce emissions from passenger
transport, and help turn around growing emissions from the transport sector. Standards will be important in meeting Australia’s targets under the Paris Agreement. The fuel efficiency standard proposed by the Federal Government in 2017 would save 12 million
tonnes of CO2emissions each year by 2030.” [The Driven,
2/26/19 (=)]
Chad Ellwood
Research Associate
202.448.2877 ext. 119