Clean
Car Standards
SAFE
Rule Delay May Boost Profile Of Suit Over EPA Auto GHG ‘Finding’. According
to Inside EPA, “The Trump administration’s timetable for completing its rollback of vehicle greenhouse gas and fuel economy standards has slipped such that a final rule is not expected before an appellate court holds oral argument in litigation over EPA’s
decision to reopen the Obama-era standards. The timing developments raise the question of whether the pending litigation -- over EPA’s April 2018 determination that its prior vehicle GHG rules were not ‘appropriate’ and must be scaled back -- could ultimately
have a greater effect on the administration’s rollback than some had expected. The ultimate link between the ongoing legal case and the broader rulemaking, however, remains unclear in part because neither backers or opponents of EPA’s 2018 determination to
reopen the standards are relying on the issuance of the final regulation -- or the lack thereof -- to make their case. Oral argument in that case is slated for Sept. 6, and multiple observers say they don’t expect EPA and the Transportation Department’s joint
final rollback regulation to arrive until the end of September or potentially October.” [Inside EPA,
7/22/19
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Auto
Manufacturers
F-150
Added To Class-Action Lawsuit Over Ford Mpg Ratings. According
to The Detroit News, “The top-selling Ford F-150 pickup has been added to a class-action lawsuit that alleges Ford Motor Co. misrepresented the fuel economy of its pickup trucks and deceptively advertised the trucks’ fuel efficiency. The lawsuit seeks $1.2
billion in damages for the alleged fuel economy fraud. Originally focused on the 2019 Ford Ranger, the suit was initially filed less than two weeks after Ford disclosed in a regulatory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that the Department
of Justice had opened a criminal investigation into Ford’s emissions certifications processes. The suit has now been expanded to include the 2018-2019 F-150 series trucks. Litigants say it could later be expanded to ‘likely also include other Ford vehicles.’
A Ford representative said the automaker had not yet seen the complaint. ‘... We typically don’t comment on pending litigation,’ said T.R. Reid, director of corporate and public policy communications at Ford. ‘However, based on reports, this appears to be
similar to two other recent filings by the same law firm in the same court. In any case, it’s important to not confuse claims with merit.’” [The Detroit News,
7/22/19
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Congress
Oh
Say Can You EV? According
to Politico, “The top Republican and Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee are still barreling toward a markup of surface transportation legislation Aug. 1 in committee and both indicated Monday they expect significant investment in electric
vehicle charging infrastructure would be part of the package. Chairman John Barrasso, who has called for ending tax breaks for electric vehicles, said that he favored more funding for charging infrastructure. ‘If you have an established market, you need infrastructure
so it can be used but it doesn’t need more tax subsidies to subsidize the purchase of those vehicles,’ Barrasso told reporters, while also calling for ‘some sort of user’s fee for the wear and tear that are produced by those vehicles.’ He said the EV investments
would be greater than Congress had dedicated ‘previously’ to the evolving market. Barrasso said he and ranking member Tom Carper communicated over the weekend on the bill, which he said also ‘contains some of the streamlining of regulations to make it easier
so you can do projects better and faster and cheaper and smarter.’ Carper told reporters he expected the measure to be unveiled July 29 ahead of an Aug. 1 markup. ‘We have not locked down every single item but huge progress has been made,’ the Delaware Democrat
said.” [Politico, 7/23/19
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States
“Drive
Clean Texas” Campaign Urges Drivers To Help Reduce Air Pollution. According
to the Rowlett Lakeshore Times, “Nine areas around the state either exceed, or are at risk of exceeding, federal Clean Air standards As summer kicks off, Texans love to roll the windows down and hit the road for a breath of fresh air. The Texas Department
of Transportation’s ‘Drive Clean Texas’ campaign asks all drivers to do their part to make sure every breath is clean and healthy all summer long. Emissions from cars and trucks can make up close to half of the air pollution in some parts of the state. There
are four areas—Houston/Galveston, Dallas/Fort Worth, San Antonio and El Paso—that do not meet federal clean air standards as established by the Clean Air Act. Additionally—Austin, Victoria, Tyler/Longview, Beaumont/Port Arthur and Corpus Christi—are close
to exceeding healthy levels of air pollutants. That’s why TxDOT developed the Drive Clean Texas campaign, designed to demonstrate how simple changes in driving behaviors can have a big impact on vehicle emissions and air quality. ‘As Texans hit the road this
summer, Drive Clean Texas is asking everyone to help reduce vehicle air pollution,’ said Texas Transportation Commissioner Jeff Austin III. ‘Making simple adjustments to the way we drive and maintain our vehicles can help us all get where we need to go and
reduce air pollution along the way. It’s a win-win for our families and our wallets.’” [Rowlett Lakeshore Times,
7/23/19
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A New Battery Could Be Key To Cutting Carbon Emissions, Slowing Climate Change.
According to NPR, “NPR’s Ari Shapiro talks with Yet-Ming Chiang, professor of materials science and engineering
at MIT, about why new battery technology is key to cutting carbon emissions and slowing climate change. ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: All month, we’ve been talking about how technology can help slow climate change. And today, that brings us to batteries - not the kind
that powers your cellphone, or even your electric car, if you have one. We are talking about batteries that are way bigger - big enough to store all the solar or wind energy you would need to power a city, for example. Let’s bring in Yet-Ming Chiang. He is
a material science professor at MIT and founder of several battery companies. Welcome to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. YET-MING CHIANG: Thank you, Ari. It’s great to be here. SHAPIRO: So start with the basics. Explain why batteries are such an essential part of moving
to clean energy. CHIANG: Well, the trend that we are all trying to take advantage of is the fact that renewable electricity - primarily wind and solar - has become the lowest-cost form of generating electricity in many parts of the U.S. and in the world. But
the problem that we have is that renewable electricity is not dispatchable. And by that term, we mean we can’t call on it for more power when we need it. You simply can’t ask the sun to produce more solar power in a given time, or for the wind to blow harder.
SHAPIRO: And batteries are the solution to that problem.” [NPR,
7/22/19 (=)]
Electric Power Awakens The Sleeping Dwarf With Maserati Finally Getting New Models.
According to Forbes, “Seemingly asleep for too long, Italian boutique automaker Maserati is about to rejoin the auto game. But not just any game, Maserati is making the leap into
battery electric vehicles with a new BEV sports car. Having put its jaw-dropping Alfieri two-door coupe on the backburner, it has switched tack and will now deliver its new sports car as soon as next March’s Geneva auto show. It’s also prepping a Porsche Macan-sized
crossover SUV to begin sales next year, after its new-model pipeline being clogged up for the last five years. Maserati’s head of communications, Maria Conti, told Australia’s carsales.com.au that it would launch an all-new sports car next year – and promised
that this time it would make it to production. ‘We will have a special surprise in the first quarter of 2020, probably at Geneva, a new generation sports car to be built right here in Modena,’ she told the news-breaking website. The carmaker didn’t furbish
further details, but insiders insist it will be a plug-in hybrid two-door – and that the Geneva car will be the final production version rather than another concept. It will be the first Maserati off an all-new electrified platform and should boast a two-second
sprint to 60mph, thanks to a three-motor powertrain and an 800-Volt battery system.” [Forbes,
7/22/19 (=)]
EV Transmissions Are Coming, And It’s A Good Thing.
According to Clean Technica, “Recently, ZF announced a two-speed EV transaxle/drive unit, and around the same time, more details about the Porsche Taycan came out. For the Taycan,
there was more confirmation that the vehicle will have a two-speed gearbox (at least in the rear). In response, I’ve seen a good number of EV fanatics on Twitter and Facebook panning one announcement or the other. ‘EVs don’t need transmissions,’ seems to be
the common criticism. Supposedly, the added complexity, maintenance, and expense aren’t worth it. There’s just one problem: that’s wrong. Let’s take a look at why!
For those not very familiar with internal combustion technology, I’ll give a quick rundown of the ‘why’ behind transmissions. I know that it can be a hard concept to learn at first, so
I’m going to share this video from EngineeringExplained (one of my favorite Youtube channels):
For those who know how to drive manual, the reason for transmissions should be fairly obvious. ICE engines, with rare exception, only make good power and/or efficiency in relatively narrow
RPM ranges. Depending on the goal (power or efficiency), the transmission needs to shift to the next gear at the right time to keep the engine in the right range of RPMs.” [Clean Technica,
7/22/19 (=)]
VW Prepares Zwickau Factory For 330,000 All-Electric Cars Per Year.
According to Electrek, “VW is converting its entire Zwickau factory to electric vehicle production, and as it prepares for the start of ID3 production later this year, the German
automaker teases the production of 330,000 all-electric cars per year. Over the last few years, VW has been ‘all talk, no show’ when it comes to electric vehicles, but it is about to change. Volkswagen is the first major legacy automaker to convert an entire
factory to electric vehicle production. The Zwickau factory is currently producing several variants of the VW Golf, as well as bodies for the Bentley Bentayga and Lamborghini Urus. It produces over 250,000 vehicles per year and employs 8,000 people. Now it’s
going electric, and VW is also investing in making the production cleaner. VW wrote in a press release today: Volkswagen is set to build the attractive, affordable e-car for everyone. An e-car for millions, not just for millionaires. To do so, the Volkswagen
plant in Zwickau is currently being transformed into the first, largest, highest-performing — and most environmentally friendly — e-factory in Europe. Zwickau will be the first, and Volkswagen also announced two additional new factories to go electric, including
a US factory.” [Electrek,
7/22/19 (=)]
Tesla Under Microscope.
According to Axios, “Tesla’s financial struggles will be in the spotlight this week as the Silicon Valley electric automaker reports Q2 earnings after markets close on Wednesday.
What’s next: The company is expected to report a second consecutive quarterly loss despite record deliveries for the April–June stretch. That brings us to an insightful piece by Axios’ Joann Muller, where she reports Tesla is beginning to behave like the Detroit
Three carmakers during their most desperate days. Why it matters: By pumping incentives and slashing prices, analysts say the electric car manufacturer appears to be signaling that it prioritizes vehicle deliveries and cash generation over margins. In addition
to this week’s expected Q2 loss, Tesla also risks alienating loyal customers and destroying its considerable brand equity — problems Detroit is all too familiar with. What’s happening: A dizzying string of recent price adjustments on Tesla cars is a sign of
internal chaos over how to deal with shrinking U.S. incentives, aging model lines, and pressure to boost deliveries, Bloomberg reports. Plus, Tesla has reasons to pump up sales, even if it means sacrificing profits, writes Barclays automotive analyst Brian
Johnson in a note to clients. With future capital raises likely, it’s important to show growth to potential investors.” [Axios,
7/22/19
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Chad Ellwood
Research Associate
202.448.2877 ext. 119