Category Archives: energy

Power Plants Continue to Befoul Our Air During 2021

Emissions in 2021 were higher than 2020, EPA said because of  a rebound in coal-fired generation as natural gas prices and energy demand increased. Worse emissions increased at rates much higher than the demand for electricity. Continue reading

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Ford Pro Using Lightning EVs in Pilot Farming Study

Winegrowers rely daily on their trucks to haul fertilizer and fuel tanks, water and portable bathrooms. Some vehicles log upward of 50,000 miles a year, traveling between properties from Cloverdale to Petaluma. Operating these vehicles and maintaining them, are among an organization’s largest expenses. At Dutton Ranch, which runs a fleet of ~70 work vehicles, fuel costs average $5,000 per month. The prospect of reducing that monthly expense is critical to operations moving forward. Electric vehicles, coupled with the solar power that many Sonoma County ranches already generate and store, represent another way to help offset rising fuel costs. Large Ford pickup trucks and SUVs of course consume enormous amounts of fossil fuels each day. Continue reading

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GM Plans to Expand Fuel Cell Sales Beyond Vehicles

These planned fuel-cell generators could eventually replace gas- and diesel-burning generators with fewer emissions at worksites, buildings, movie sets, data centers, outdoor concerts and festivals. They could also back up or temporarily replace grid-sourced electricity for residential and small commercial enterprises at times of power disruption. Continue reading

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Biden Proposes New Clean Energy Policies and Actions on Offshore Winds, Public Lands, Transmission Lines

Build Back Better will, no doubt, continue to be opposed by the Republican party comprised of nope-dopes heavily financed by fossil-fuel and related businesses. Continue reading

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Significant 2021 Automotive Stories and Trends

With that in mind, here’s our perspective on the last annum, from autonomous vehicles to global warming, to driving high disasters, to trade and tariffs and to the rise of fascism. We do this with a humble awareness that AutoInformed conducts its education in public. We begin with our take on significant automotive stories as we enter another year of plagues – covid, political, social or otherwise. Continue reading

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Washington Diddles. India Puts Billions into Securing EV Jobs

This is not an isolated occurrence. Electric vehicles, the so-called hydrogen economy and connected cars are the future of the planet and high paying employment. Virtually all major industrial nations are promoting policies and incentives to become major forces where no automaker dares to go alone. Except the dis-United States it seems. Even Senator Manchin’s next Maserati that he drives to his yacht will likely be an EV. Built where? The question facing Washington politicians of his ilk is simple: Do you care about the people in your district? Continue reading

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Nissan to Sell Renewable Electricity to Japanese Employees

The program will first be made available to employees living in the Kanto region at the start of fiscal year 2022 at the end of March. This moves an automaker into an energy segment that is now dominated by public utilities and Big Oil. It could be the beginning of a trend. It also could be the beginnings of massive political and lobbying battles. Continue reading

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Stellantis Has Lithium Supply Deal with Vulcan Energy

Stellantis also claims – focused firmly on the capital markets required for enormous funding – that it will be 30% more efficient than the industry with respect to total Capex and R&D spend versus revenues. At the moment there is no factory nor a proven process at Vulcan at the scale needed for mass production. Vulcan too need access to the capital markets to survive. Continue reading

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EV Boats – GM Buys Into Pure Watercraft

The so-called Pure Outboard from Pure Watercraft uses efficiency to benefit a boat’s performance while reducing environmental pollution with much lower operating costs and maintenance than traditional marine propulsion systems, it’s claimed. An open issue with EV technology remains the thus far unexplored anti-trust implications as giant global automakers and battery companies appear to be well on the way to owning and controlling electric mobility. Continue reading

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California, New Zealand, Québec Sign Joint Agreement on Net Zero Green House Gases

The Joint Declaration accepts the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with the latest findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. It acknowledges the common intent of the three jurisdictions to transition toward net-zero greenhouse gas emissions while creating new, quality jobs in low- or zero-emission sectors and facilitating a just transition for people impacted by the shift towards a carbon neutral economy. Continue reading

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Ford to Take $1B Charge to Buy Back Expensive Debt

Last April, Ford sold $8 billion of bonds as the coronavirus pandemic closed Ford’s factories with a corresponding drop in sales. Actions such as the debt tender offer and the issuance of 0% convertible notes earlier this year, together with a “bet on the come line” of awaited broader access to capital from the new sustainable financing framework, combine with Ford’s objectives to further strengthen its balance sheet and financial flexibility and return its credit ratings to investment grade. Continue reading

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Stellantis, Samsung SDI JV for NA Battery Manufacturing

The latest Joint Venture for Lithium-Ion Battery Production in North America comes just days after Stellantis announced that it had entered with LG Energy Solution a memorandum of understanding to form a joint venture to produce battery cells and modules for North America. Thus the battery gold rush among major automakers continues with vast unknowns on how EVs will pan out among consumers. Continue reading

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GM to Invest in New Battery Building to Lower EV Costs

The latest GM announcement comes just one day after it said it reached a deal with Wolfspeed (to develop and provide silicon carbide power devices for GM’s future electric vehicle programs. Wolfspeed’s silicon carbide devices will allow GM to “install more efficient EV propulsion systems that will extend the range” of its growing EV portfolio. The silicon carbide involved will be used in the integrated power electronics contained within GM’s Ultium Drive units in its next-generation EVs. Continue reading

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Lithium-Sulfur – Better than Lithium-Ion Battery?

Whether this is a genuine breakthrough or just another silly-CON (Do you know the ways of San Jose? Privately held until the IPO?) remains to be validated by vehicle use on the road and ultimately adoption by major automakers. Lyten expects full production and market availability for ‘25-‘26 model year vehicles. Continue reading

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Bosch Simplifies Electric Vehicle Charging Cables

The three-phase cable enables so-called mode 2 and mode 3 AC charging at up to 22 kilowatts. With the charging cable, there is no need for a wall-box when recharging at home. This is what customers want. In Europe, 84 percent of electric car drivers recharge their vehicle at home in the evening or overnight, claimed Bosch. Continue reading

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