Clean Car Standards
Consumer
Reports Pushes Biden To Get More Aggressive On Tailpipe Emissions.
According to Politico, “A new fact sheet from Consumer Reports calls on the Biden administration to reinstate Obama-era tailpipe emissions standards and pursue more aggressive standards through the end of the decade. Annual gains of 1 mile per gallon combined
with 50 percent electric vehicle sales by 2030 would amount to $1.6 trillion in net fuel and maintenance savings, plus 10.3 billion tons less carbon dioxide, according to calculations by CR, which has long argued that more stringent standards mean consumer
savings. The group shared its analysis with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration officials on Monday. CR also threw cold water on the California emissions deal, finding it would mean securing just 40 to 60 percent of the benefits of the original
Obama-era standards. Automakers reportedly have pitched the Biden administration on a program with emissions gains even lower than the California deal. ‘It’s just a question of political will and leadership and I think with the administration that’s put climate
as one of their top priories… this is just a win-win opportunity,’ David Friedman, CR’s vice president for advocacy, told ME. Meanwhile: California Sens. Alex Padilla and Dianne Feinstein yesterday asked Biden to set a target date to phase out national sales
of internal combustion engines, which Gov. Gavin Newsom last year announced plans to do in the state by 2035.” [Politico,
3/23/21
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Calif.
Democrats Urge Stronger Auto Emissions Standards. According
to E&E News, “California Democrats are pushing the White House to restore the state’s power under the Clean Air Act to set more stringent vehicle emissions standards. In a letter to President Biden last week, Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla said the
administration should ‘maintain states’ authority to set vehicle emissions standards necessary to protect the health and welfare of their people, while also setting strong nationwide standards for greenhouse gas emissions, fuel economy, and zero-emission vehicles.’
President Trump repealed California’s Clean Air Act waiver and ripped up Obama-era fuel economy standards for cars, prompting outrage and lawsuits from state officials and environmental advocates. Biden has pledged to review the move, and litigation is on
hold as his administration drops its defense of the rollback (Greenwire, Feb. 9). Feinstein and Padilla argued the waiver is an important mechanism for state and federal cooperation, even with the Biden administration likely to restore more aggressive national
standards. ‘Importantly, the Act balances states’ rights with the interests of a national manufacturing base by preserving the right of California, and other states that want to follow California, to set engine emission standards necessary to ensure everyone
has clean air to breathe,’ they wrote. At minimum, they said, the national standards should be based on the voluntary agreement automakers struck with the California Air Resources Board last year, which would see 3.7% annual greenhouse gas emissions reductions
from cars and light trucks. ‘We also urge you to follow California’s lead and set a date by which all new cars and passenger trucks sold be zero-emission vehicles,’ the lawmakers wrote.” [E&E News,
3/22/21
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California
Senators Push Biden To Set End Date For Gasoline-Car Sales. According
to Car and Driver, “The shift to electric vehicles is underway, but California’s two U.S. senators are looking to expedite it: according to a report from the Reuters news service, the two senators are pressing President Biden to set a date by which new gasoline-powered
vehicles will no longer be sold in the U.S. Last fall, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order banning the sale of new gas-powered vehicles beginning in 2035. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla sent the letter to President Biden
today, asking the president to follow California’s lead on the transition to electric vehicles, Reuters reported. Biden hasn’t said that he will commit to any timeline for a sales ban of gas-powered vehicles, but his campaign site during the Democratic primary
did say he aimed to develop ‘rigorous new fuel-economy standards aimed at ensuring 100 percent of new sales for light- and medium-duty vehicles will be electrified.’ By lacking a timeline for that goal, Biden was in the minority of those in the Democratic
primary. Nonetheless, President Biden has taken steps to increase the number of electric vehicles on the road. Shortly after taking office, Biden signed an executive order saying that the federal fleet of vehicles, of which there is roughly 645,000, will be
replaced with electric vehicles. This content is imported from Facebook. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. The senators’ letter also requested that Biden restore California’s
leadership on emissions standards; that leadership was eroded during the Trump presidency, particularly when the EPA revoked California’s waiver to set stricter emissions standards.” [Car and Driver,
3/22/21
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California
Senators Push Biden To Start Phasing Out Gasoline Vehicle Sales.
According to Green Car Reports, “Could the Biden Administration set a date for the retirement of internal combustion passenger vehicles? Although that’s an unlikely move, as the new administration grapples with how to restore tighter standards for gas mileage
and emissions, two senators are reportedly rooting for that deadline. In a letter from seen by Reuters, Senators Alex Padilla and Dianne Feinstein urged President Biden to restore California’s authority to set its clean car standards—a move it hasn’t yet made—and
‘to follow California’s lead and set a date by which all new cars and passenger trucks sold be zero-emission vehicles.’ Reuters further cites the Senators as arguing in the letter that the agreements that were voluntarily reached between companies and California
last year should be seen as the new baseline. The compromise deals were struck between California’s Air Resources Board and Ford, Honda, BMW, Volkswagen, and Volvo. The standards in those deals fall between those set by the Trump administration and those that
had already been established by the Obama administration. In September 2019, the Trump EPA revoked California’s Clean Air Act waiver, which allowed it to set its own greenhouse-gas standards. As of yet, that waiver hasn’t yet been restored, but the Biden administration
has asked the EPA and the NHTSA to act by April. A January executive order from Biden accelerated the conversion of public vehicle fleets to all-electric vehicles and signaled that it will raise the domestic-content thresholds for government purchases. Not
all federal affiliates are on board yet, however. In February, the USPS confirmed a 10-year, $6 billion contract that would result in just 10% of the new-generation delivery trucks being all-electric. That’s already spurred Congress to consider legislation
mandating EVs.” [Green Car Reports, 3/22/21
(=)]
Congress
Republicans
Sharpen Criticism Of EV Policies As Democrats’ Plan Nears. According
to Inside EPA, “House Republicans are sharpening their critiques of electric vehicle (EV) policies as Democrats gear up for possible action on federal procurement and other incentives in infrastructure legislation, focusing on the proposed pace and funding
for such efforts and highlighting what they argue would be damaging jobs effects. During a March 22 House Energy & Commerce Committee hearing on Democrats’ LIFT America Act -- an array of infrastructure proposals related to energy, public health and broadband
--Republicans charged that ‘free market’ or deregulatory policies are better choices than the federal incentives Democrats are offering. The critiques may also hint at more pointed attacks on the Biden administration’s efforts to accelerate a transition to
cleaner vehicles, with such details still emerging. ‘This progressive wish list which is before us today is the complete opposite of what will deliver results,’ said Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), the committee’s ranking Republican, broadly criticizing
the infrastructure measure and focusing on its expansion from prior Democratic proposals. ‘It is a whopping $300 billion for the government to regulate the cars we drive and how we heat our homes and businesses,’ she added. ‘This is not the American way.’
Rodgers also blasted language in the bill she said ‘mandates’ electric vehicles and electric vehicle infrastructure, which she claimed will ‘further burden our grid.’ Comments from Rodgers and other Republicans also signals criticism of the process for developing
the bill, which Republicans contend has not been sufficiently bipartisan even as Democrats claim it contains ideas favored by both parties.” [E&E News,
3/23/21
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White
House
Biden’s
EV Pledge Bumps Against Realities of Bureaucracy, Market. According
to Bloomberg Law, “President Joe Biden’s call for the federal government to stock up on electric vehicles is running headlong into two harsh realities: the marketplace and the bureaucracy. The president, in an executive order aimed at combating climate change,
requesteda plan by the end of April to add zero-emission vehicles to the government’s inventory. Yet from Inauguration Day until mid-March, the General Services Administration—the agency that does most of the government’s vehicle buying—spent $439.7 million
on passenger vehicles, with only 13% going for products that use at least some electric power, according to Bloomberg Government’s federal contracts database. That’s separate from the Postal Service, an independent agency, which signed a $6 billion contract
with Oshkosh Corp. for a fleet of largely gas-guzzling mail-delivery trucks earlier this year. That move flew in the face of the president’s order that specifically directs the service to progress toward a zero-emission fleet. One potential reason: Trump administration
officials likely lined up those purchases before leaving office, given that GSA typically signs vehicle contracts in the fall or winter. The Postal Service first started taking proposals for new designs in 2015. But the government’s recent buys also reflect
that the market currently offers few, if any, zero-emissions options to meet certain agencies’ needs, such as the Interior Department’s use of medium-duty trucks to carry equipment over dirt roads in remote areas. ‘There is so much planning and management
that has to go around moving people from using traditionally-powered cars or vehicles to a fully-electric vehicle,’ said Jayna Marie Rust, an associate at Thompson Coburn LLP. You can’t ‘just switch midstream,’ she said.” [Bloomberg Law,
3/23/21
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Auto Manufacturers
Tesla’s Autopilot Technology Faces Fresh Scrutiny.
According to the New York Times, “Tesla faced numerous questions about its Autopilot
technology after a Florida driver was killed in 2016 when the system of sensors and cameras failed to see and brake for a tractor-trailer crossing a road. Now the company is facing more scrutiny than it has in the last five years for Autopilot, which Tesla
and its chief executive, Elon Musk, have long maintained makes its cars safer than other vehicles. Federal officials are looking into a series of recent accidents involving Teslas that either were using Autopilot or might have been using it. The National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration confirmed last week that it was investigating 23 such crashes. In one accident this month, a Tesla Model Y rear-ended a police car that had stopped on a highway near Lansing, Mich. The driver, who was not seriously injured, had
been using Autopilot, the police said. In February in Detroit, under circumstances similar to the 2016 Florida accident, a Tesla drove beneath a tractor-trailer that was crossing the road, tearing the roof off the car. The driver and a passenger were seriously
injured. Officials have not said whether the driver had turned on Autopilot. NHTSA is also looking into a Feb. 27 crash near Houston in which a Tesla ran into a stopped police vehicle on a highway. It is not clear if the driver was using Autopilot. The car
did not appear to slow before the impact, the police said. Autopilot is a computerized system that uses radar and cameras to detect lane markings, other vehicles and objects in the road. It can steer, brake and accelerate automatically with little input from
the driver.” [New York Times, 3/23/21
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VW Promises A $25,000 Electric Car … By 2025.
According to Jalopnik, “That car above is Seat’s Mii Electric, which starts at £19,300,
or around $26,700 in a straight conversion. Expect something cheaper than that. All that and more in The Morning Shift for March 22, 2021. 1st Gear: 2025 Is The Year, Says VW We don’t know exactly when/if/how Tesla’s $25,000 model will come, but VW is saying
it’ll be giving Europe something at that level come 2025, as Autocar reports: Seat is set to lead the development and production of entry-level compact electric vehicles from Cupra, Skoda, Volkswagen and potentially Audi based on the Volkswagen Group’s new
‘MEB-Lite’ platform that’s due in 2025. The new architecture, a modified version of the MEB platform used for models including the Cupra Born and Volkswagen ID 3, is key to the Volkswagen Group’s goal of producing affordable electric cars with a targeted starting
price of €20,000 (£17,000).
Seat and CUPRA president Wayne Griffiths also gave a bit of a timeline for the rest of the VW Group’s rollout of actually-affordable EVs: ‘The exact volume will depend on how many brands launch [entry-level vehicles] in the initial phase. Volkswagen, Skoda
and possibly in the future Audi will be involved in the project, and there would be a second phase after that going towards 2030.’
As Renault has been demonstrating in Europe, cheap EVs are the new luxury EVs. 2nd Gear: GM Dealers Will Share Chevy Bolts I am very charmed by this Automotive News story, which puts a lot of spin on GM trying to figure out how to deal with not giving all
dealers Chevy Bolts.” [Jalopnik, 3/22/21
(=)]
Elon Musk: Tesla 'Would Never' Spy On Chinese Electric Car Drivers On Behalf Of US.
According to USA Today, “Tesla CEO Elon Musk rejected the suggestion that his company’s
electric vehicles could be used to spy on people in China. Musk’s comments came after several reports that the Chinese military had banned its members from driving Tesla cars. ‘There’s a very strong incentive for us to be very confidential with any information,’
Musk said Saturday at the China Development Forum, a government conference, according to CNN. ‘If Tesla used cars to spy in China or anywhere, we will get shut down.’ Several outlets, including Reuters, Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal, have reported
on the restrictions, citing anonymous sources. China, the world’s largest market for new vehicle sales, is a critical source of growth for Tesla. If the country cracks down on Tesla, that would deal a significant blow to the company’s growth prospects. Musk
also said the company ‘would never provide’ the U.S. with data collected by its cars in China or anywhere else, according to Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives. ‘We believe this statement (while assumed) was important for Tesla and Musk to make directly to
the Chinese and the government in Beijing given the strategic importance of its EV ambitions within China,’ Ives wrote in a research note. ‘With a brewing Cold Tech War between the US and China, Tesla (as well as Apple, semis), remain caught in the crossfire
and ultimately Musk needed to draw a clear line in the sand to assuage Beijing around this sensitive issue and make sure this stays a contained issue within China with no more negative ripple effects for Tesla.’” [USA Today,
3/22/21
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British EV Start-Up Arrival Is Setting Up In North Carolina To Build A UPS Fully Electric
Fleet. According to CNBC, “A British electric vehicle company is putting down roots
in the U.S. and plans to take its new production concept global as demand for new mobility systems grows. Arrival, which is developing electric vans and buses, announced last week that it is building a second microfactory in Charlotte, North Carolina. The
company plans to assemble vehicles there for a fleet order from United Parcel Service starting in the second half of 2022. President Avinash Rugoobur told CNBC’s Jim Cramer Monday its vertically integrated microfactories require less space and capital investments
than traditional manufacturing facilities. ‘We’re partnering with the city of Charlotte to produce a whole transportation ecosystem together,’ he said in a ‘Mad Money’ interview. ‘When you look at the global scale that needs to shift to being electric, we
expect to have microfactories, you know, all around the world.’ Arrival is investing more than $41 million into the facility in Charlotte, where its U.S. headquarters is situated. The company plans to go public via a blank-check merger with Ciig Merger and
expects to hire more than 250 employees at the site. That’s in addition to the 650 jobs it said it would bring to the area as part of the corporate offices it announced in December. Arrival says it’s on a mission to accelerate the transition to zero-emission
commercial vehicles. The company claims a competitive advantage in that it designs its own batteries and other components in-house and writes its own software, Rugoobur said. ‘What’s interesting about the microfactory is you can use existing warehouses and
turn them into production facilities,’ Rugoobur said.” [CNBC, 3/22/21
(=)]
Jaguar’s First Electric Car In India To Cost Double A Tesla.
According to Bloomberg, “Jaguar Land Rover unveiled its all-electric SUV in India on
Tuesday but its sticker price -- twice that of an entry-level Tesla Inc. -- will put it out of reach of most consumers in the South Asian nation. The I-Pace’s starting price is 10.6 million rupees ($147,000), which compares to an estimated cost of around $68,000
for a Model 3 after export expenses. That’s going to be a tough sell considering that in India, about 75% of all auto sales occur in the $10,000 and under bracket. Jaguar is hoping to make inroads in a market where the shift to electric vehicles is happening
far more slowly than other parts of the world due to a lack of charging infrastructure, high costs of battery powered-models and a reluctance by banks to finance purchases. By 2040, only about one-third of new passenger cars sold will be battery-powered in
India, versus around 70% in China and Germany, according to BloombergNEF. Jaguar’s I-Pace has failed to dent Tesla’s electric-car dominance in other markets like America, with the British brand’s sales running at roughly half of what the carmaker expected.
Still, a growing awareness about pollution, the Indian government’s policy push and more carmakers launching green vehicles will drive demand, Jaguar Land Rover India President Rohit Suri said. ‘The Indian market is warming up to the prospects of electric
vehicles,’ Suri said, adding that EVs have a lower cost of running, are easy to maintain, create less noise pollution and have zero tail-pipe emissions. ‘EVs are a great alternative to conventional vehicles.’ To charge the I-Pace, customers can either use
a home charging cable or a 7.4 kilowatt AC wall-mounted charger, with both provided with the vehicle.” [Bloomberg,
3/23/21
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Are Automakers The Next Climate Target In Court?
According to E&E News, “As oil and gas supermajors face legal scrutiny for their role
in causing climate change, environmental lawyers are turning their attention to another leading source of planet-warming emissions: the auto industry. Dozens of states and municipalities have filed lawsuits against oil and gas companies over their historic
contribution to climate change and its impacts. If those suits are successful, car companies could be the next target in the growing wave of climate liability litigation — despite the challenges of proving their culpability for rising global temperatures in
court. ‘What I’m waiting to see is when the car companies are going to be brought into this litigation, as well,’ said Martin Olszynski, an associate professor of law at the University of Calgary in Canada who has written about automakers’ climate liability.
Since 2017, five states and more than a dozen municipalities have sued fossil fuel companies over their contribution to — and alleged deception about — the dangers of climate change. Many of the lawsuits cite investigative reporting by InsideClimate News,
which found that Exxon Mobil Corp. privately knew in the 1970s that burning fossil fuels would cause catastrophic climate impacts, but the oil giant publicly cast doubt on this scientific consensus for decades. The communities contend that the fossil fuel
firms misled consumers about the harms of their products and that the firms should now cover the costs of addressing floods, wildfires, sea-level rise and other disasters fueled by rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. A recent investigation by E&E News
revealed that two of America’s largest automakers followed a strikingly similar path to those of Exxon and its peers in the oil industry.” [E&E News,
3/23/21
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Electric Vehicles
EV Charging Data Shows A Widely Divergent Global Path.
According to Bloomberg, “At the beginning of each year at BloombergNEF — Bloomberg’s clean energy and transport research group — my
team and I do a comprehensive update of all our data sets, tracking how the move to electric vehicles is shaping up around the world. We’ve been doing this for over a decade now, and that vantage point highlights some significant developments. One of those
is on EV charging points, and the latest updates show some stark differences in how fast countries are tackling one of the last remaining barriers to widespread EV adoption. The most remarkable thing is just how fast China is pulling ahead on this front. China
had over 800,000 EV charging outlets available for public use installed at the end of 2020, up from 516,000 in 2019 and 300,000 in 2018. In December 2020 alone, China installed 112,000 public charging points — more than the entire U.S. public charging network.
It is worth noting that December was an extraordinary month. A deeper look at the data shows that October was the next highest month for charger installations, with 63,000, and other months were much lower. So we should be careful about extrapolating from
the December numbers alone. Still, at the end of 2020 China represented almost two-thirds of all public charging points installed globally. A key point here is that China likely also needs more public charging infrastructure than, say, parts of Europe or the
U.S. The U.S. has a lot of detached homes with driveways or garages that provide easy home charging options, reducing the amount of public chargers that drivers will need to feel comfortable making the jump to electric. China’s EV owners so far are mostly
high-rise dwellers in cities with strong policies and incentives aimed at limiting sales of new internal combustion vehicles.” [Bloomberg,
3/23/21
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The Digital Age & EVs — Rethinking & Revitalizing Transportation.
According to Clean Technica, “Historically, the industrial sector was the largest energy consumer, but the gap between industrial and
transportation sector energy use has narrowed considerably in the last decade. In 2019, transportation accounted for 18% of global carbon dioxide emissions, and, as a result, focus has turned to electrification of global transportation to reduce emissions.
Cities and countries around the world are revitalizing transportation, with electric vehicles forecast to reduce carbon dioxide emissions as much as 43% in comparison to diesel engine vehicles. Environmental policies on climate change and directives for the
potential use of renewable energy sources to power electric vehicles will impact the speed and efficiency of zero emissions transportation. In the battle against pollution and the effects of the climate crisis, electrification is gaining momentum with encouragements
like incentives, rebates, city chargers, and special parking for electric vehicles. Today, digital technologies in vehicles represent at least 50% of the total value of a vehicle. Lots of these changes are possible because the digital age has met the need
for sustainable transportation. The disruptive effect resulting from digitalization is the most important phenomenon in the auto industry’s 140-year history. A combination of factors are on the way to upending the automotive industry: High demands for improved
or new digital services Increasingly competitive, economical, and autonomous electric cars The use of efficient renewable energy resources.” [Clean Technica,
3/22/21
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Are EVs Destroying The Car Dealership?
According to E&E News, “Electric vehicles are starting to worry traditional auto dealerships, and the stress is fueling a bitter fight
with new electric automakers like Rivian. Across the country, upstart EV makers are trying to persuade state legislatures that the normal rules for selling cars shouldn’t apply to them, in part because they help the climate. The outcome of their pleas will
shape how Americans shop for cars. The question at the center of the dispute: Should EV makers be allowed to avoid building a network of dealerships and instead sell direct to the driver? The stakes for both dealers and EV manufacturers are high. Without the
special treatment, EV companies like Rivian and Lucid Motors Inc. say they risk being hamstrung in states that don’t allow direct sales, including big ones like Georgia, New York and Texas. Franchised dealerships suggest that letting EV makers sell straight
to customers threatens their existence. Last week, the back-and-forth sharpened when Mike Stanton, president of the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), wrote an op-ed called ‘The Big Lie About EV Sales.’ The big lie, he said, is that dealers don’t
want to sell electric vehicles — a supposed falsehood that is ‘propagated by the handful of companies that want to destroy the franchise system.’ While Stanton didn’t name names, one company that looms large in the debate is Rivian, the fledgling manufacturer
that is preparing to roll out its first electric truck and SUV to consumers this summer. NADA did not reply to requests for comment. Rivian, along with Tesla Inc. and Lucid, is facing off this year against a passionate and powerful lobby of auto dealers in
at least six states, including Connecticut, Georgia, Nebraska, Nevada, New York and Washington.” [E&E News,
3/23/21
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Are Electric Cars Really Better For The Environment?
According to the Wall Street Journal, “Carmakers including General Motors Co. and Volkswagen AG are retooling their companies to make
electric vehicles on the premise that their battery-powered motors are cleaner than gas-burning engines. Are EVs really better for the environment, though? A close look at all the factors shows they are—but it’s a complex answer with some asterisks. The environmental
cost of a car includes both building it and fueling it. That means factoring in emissions associated with oil drilling and power plant smokestacks, as well as from mining metals such as nickel and cobalt that are needed for electric-car batteries. The Wall
Street Journal enlisted the help of researchers at the University of Toronto to examine this question. We began by comparing the environmental impact of two popular cars that are best sellers in their categories: a midsize sedan that runs on electricity and
a more lightweight compact SUV that uses gasoline. Building both a Tesla Model 3 and a Toyota RAV4 generates several tons of greenhouse gas emissions to smelt the aluminum, manufacture the components and assemble the vehicle. But building a Tesla actually
generates more emissions because of the metals needed for its lithium-ion battery. Before it rolls off the assembly line, the Tesla has generated 65% more emissions than the RAV4. Once they hit the road, the tables start to turn. The RAV4 burns gasoline, which
is refined from crude oil extracted from wells around the world. At 5,000 miles, the RAV4 also needs its first motor oil change. The Tesla refills with electricity, and doesn’t need motor oil changes.” [Wall Street Journal,
3/22/21
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A Politically Charged Battery Fight.
According to Axios, “Axios’ Joann Muller reports that a battle between two Korean electric vehicle battery makers has become a political
headache for the Biden administration. Catch up fast: LG Chem accused a rival, SK Innovation, of stealing its EV battery technology and hiding the evidence. Last month, the U.S. International Trade Commission sided with LG Chem, restricting SK from importing
critical components for lithium-ion batteries for 10 years (with some temporary exceptions). SK now says it might have to halt construction of a $2.6 billion battery plant in Georgia — erasing the promise of 2,600 clean energy jobs that came with it — unless
Biden intervenes. Why it matters: Presidential vetoes of ITC decisions are rare, but Biden is under pressure to protect green sector jobs in the newly Democratic state — especially because SK’s batteries would power U.S.-built EVs from Ford and Volkswagen.
He’s also trying to strengthen U.S. supply chains for EVs. What’s happening: The lobbying effort is heating up. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, and Sen. Raphael Warnock, a Democrat, have urged the White House to protect jobs in their state. Last week
LG responded with a newspaper ad in Georgia accusing SK of ‘trying to hold Georgia hostage’ while dangling the prospect of building its own battery plant there. LG already has a big presence in Michigan and Ohio — two other important swing states — and announced
a $4.5 billion U.S. expansion last week. What to watch: The case will be reviewed by newly sworn-in U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai.” [Axios,
3/22/21
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State and Local
Electric Vehicle Drivers, Auto Manufacturers Ask Legislature To Nix Fee Hike Proposal.
According to the Bismarck Tribune, “Electric vehicle owners and auto manufacturers asked North Dakota lawmakers Monday to nix a proposal
that essentially would double the annual fee on electric and hybrid vehicles, as legislators consider a hike of the state’s gas tax. ‘The proposed increase to the EV road use fee is unjustifiable and is a disincentive when consumers consider purchasing an
EV,’ said Jason Mosser, a Mandan resident and Tesla driver. House Bill 1464 would raise the annual road use fee for electric vehicles from $120 to $200. The fee on hybrid vehicles would climb from $50 to $100, and the fee on electric motorcycles would move
from $20 to $50. The Legislature in 2019 enacted the fees because electric and hybrid vehicle drivers pay little to no fuels tax, yet contribute to the wear and tear of roads and bridges as they drive across the state. The tax on gasoline and diesel is one
of the main ways the state, counties, cities and townships collect revenue to fix potholes and make other repairs. Meanwhile, the bill aims to increase the state’s gas tax from 23 cents per gallon to 26 cents, a 13% jump. A comparable percentage increase on
the electric vehicle fee would be to add another $16, according to calculations from several people who spoke in opposition to the legislation Monday at a hearing before the Senate Finance and Taxation Committee. Most of the attention the bill has received
this legislative session has centered on the gas tax portion of the measure, with lawmakers on the House floor last month settling on a 3 cent per gallon increase after a committee initially endorsed a 6 cent hike. The bill passed the House with a 62-32 vote
and now rests with the Senate.” [Bismarck Tribune, 3/22/21
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AP | Panel OKs Agreement To Install Electric Vehicle Chargers In Colorado State Parks.
According to the Denver Post, “Rivian, a California-based electric vehicle manufacturer, plans to begin installing charging stations
in Colorado state parks as early as July. The Grand Junction Sentinel reports that the company will install at least two charging stations in up to 50 Colorado Parks and Wildlife locations, including state parks and recreation areas, under a sponsorship agreement
authorized by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission. The installations come at no cost to CPW. Rivian will operate and maintain the charging stations for up to five years — and possibly up to 25 years with agreement renewals. Corey Ershow, a Rivian public
policy manager, told the CPW commission that the charging stations will add about 25 miles of driving range per hour of charging. The project comes as Gov. Jared Polis’ administration seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and advocates the growing use of
electric vehicles along with creating charging networks around the state.” [Denver Post,
3/23/21
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International
India To Launch Supercharged Push For Global Electric Vehicle Players.
According to Reuters, “India plans to offer fresh incentives to companies making electric vehicles (EVs) as part of a broad auto sector scheme it expects to attract $14 billion of
investment over five years, according to industry sources and a document seen by Reuters. The country’s efforts to promote EVs to reduce its oil dependence and cut pollution have been stymied so far by a lack of investment and weak demand, as well as the patchwork
nature of existing incentives that vary from state to state. The new automotive sector scheme, however, has been under discussion since mid-2020 to provide a more focused approach, industry sources close to the matter told Reuters. The plans envisage $8 billion
of incentives for carmakers and suppliers over a five-year period to drive large investment in the sector. Final details of the scheme are expected within a month, but companies will be able to apply for incentives from April 1, the sources said. Companies
will receive 4-7% government cashbacks on the eligible sale and export value of vehicles and components, but for EVs and their components there is an additional 2% as a ‘growth incentive’ to promote electric mobility, according to the draft policy document
seen by Reuters. Elon Musk’s Tesla Inc is already gearing up to enter India while rivals including Ford, Volkswagen and India’s Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra also have plans to invest billions of dollars in EVs to meet stricter global emissions regulations.
Automotive component manufacturers in India must be ready to pivot their product offerings to cater for the shift towards EVs, the document said. The automotive incentive scheme is part of India’s broader $27 billion programme to attract manufacturers from
the likes of China and Vietnam to capture a bigger share of the global supply chain and exports.” [Reuters,
3/22/21 (=)]
On An Island North Of Scotland, Tidal Power Is Providing Juice For Electric Vehicles.
According to CNBC, “An electric vehicle charging point which uses tidal energy has started operations, providing road users on an island north of mainland Scotland with a new, renewable
option for running their cars. The facility is located on Yell, which is part of Shetland, an archipelago of roughly 100 islands. The charging point gets its electricity from Nova Innovation’s Shetland Tidal Array, a four turbine installation in Bluemull Sound,
a strait between Yell and another island called Unst. In an announcement Monday, Nova Innovation described the project as ‘the first ever electric vehicle … charge point where drivers can ‘fill up’ directly from a tidal energy source.’ A battery storage system
has also been deployed to ensure a constant supply for vehicles. The Scottish government is one of many around the world looking to move away from internal combustion engine vehicles. It wants to phase out the need for new diesel and gasoline vans and cars
by the year 2030. Funding for the project on Yell has come from Transport Scotland, the country’s transport agency. Among those reacting to Monday’s announcement about the project on Yell was Fabrice Leveque, who is head of policy at WWF Scotland. ‘It’s great
to see tidal technology being used to help decarbonise part of Scotland’s transport sector in the islands,’ he said, adding that Scotland was ‘well placed to continue to lead in developing this technology, which will help to cut climate emissions and create
skilled, green jobs.’ ‘Our islands have an abundance of renewable resources, including wind, tidal and solar, which when harnessed with care, could bring multiple economic and social benefits to remote and rural communities across Scotland,’ Leveque went on
to state.” [CNBC,
3/23/21 (=)]
Chad Ellwood
Senior Research Associate
Climate Action Campaign
202.448.2877 ext. 119