Category Archives: global warming

Nissan to Use Only Low-CO2 Emission Aluminum by 2030

Aluminum accounts for approximately 10% of vehicle weight. By using low CO2 emission aluminum, Nissan said this is A significant step towards achieving carbon neutrality. Nissan aspires to achieve carbon neutrality in the entire lifecycle of its vehicles by 2050. Continue reading

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EVs – Honda to Invest ~$65 Billion Through 2030

Honda Motor company Global CEO Toshihiro Mibe said today that it will invest ¥10 Trillion (~$65 billion) through 2030 on its electrification strategy as part of a vast reorganization or re-prioritization of its corporate strategy. Through the establishment of a vertically-integrated EV value chain with a central focus on batteries, as of 2030, Honda will reduce the cost of the battery to be procured in North America by more than 20% compared to the cost of current batteries. Honda promised it will establish a competitive business structure with an aim to reduce overall production cost by approximately 35%. Honda already has secured enough batteries for the planned production of approximately 2 million EVs per year. Continue reading

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Porsche 911 Hybrid Debuts on 28 May

Porsche said this morning in in Stuttgart that a hybrid-drive 911 sports car has completed development and will premiere on 28 May 2024. It is said to be 8.7 seconds faster than its predecessor on the Nürburgring, the track that is often used by marketers of performance sports cars for bolstering credulity of claims. Porsche performance claims have an extremely high degree of certainty in AutoInformed’s experience.  Continue reading

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Greenhouse Gases – EPA Final Rule for Oil and Gas Sector

“As we implement the historic climate programs under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, EPA is applying the latest tools, cutting edge technology, and expertise to track and measure methane emissions from the oil and gas industry,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Together, a combination of strong standards, good monitoring and reporting, and historic investments to cut methane pollution will ensure the U.S. leads in the global transition to a clean energy economy,” Regan said. Continue reading

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EPA Finalizes Pollution Reduction Standards for Power Plants

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced a series of final rules to reduce pollution from fossil-fuel-fired power plants, which have been and likely will continue to be the subject of litigation paid for by special interest money. The rules under separate authorities including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, will significantly reduce climate, air, water, and land pollution from the power sector as they go forward. During 2024 the United States is forecast to build more new electric generation capacity than it has for two decades. About  96% of that will be clean, according to the current Administration. Continue reading

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Death of the Diesel – EPA Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grants

In the United States, the transportation sector is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. It is also a prominent source of health-harming pollution. Most of the vehicles eligible for replacement are powered by internal combustion engines that pre-date recent EPA emission standards. These vehicles emit harmful pollutants such as nitrogen oxide, fine particulate matter, and greenhouse gases. Continue reading

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Earth Day – Solar Grants from The Inflation Reduction Act

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced 60 entities will receive $7 billion in awards through the Solar for All grant competition to deliver residential solar projects to over 900,000 households nationwide. The grant competition is funded by President Biden’s … Continue reading

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GM Energy Offers Electric Vehicle-to-Home Charging

“GM Energy is committed to making the transition to an all-electric lifestyle an even more compelling option by simplifying all aspects of personal energy management,” said Wade Sheffer, vice president of GM Energy. “With the introduction of these new offerings, it has never been easier for our customers to access the expanded benefits of a holistic EV ecosystem, helping to mitigate the impacts of power outages and having the ability to offset certain energy costs over time.” Continue reading

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Heavy-Duty Emissions Standards – Missed Opportunity?

“The final rule also leaves more work to be done, and state legislatures should spur use of electric and other zero-emission trucks by adopting the Advanced Clean Truck rule. By delaying the final standards for sleeper cabs until model year 2030 vehicles, EPA missed out on the additional climate and health benefits that would have started accruing much earlier from some of the highest-polluting vehicles on the roads. Continue reading

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Greenhouse Gas Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles Set

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced final national greenhouse gas pollution standards for heavy-duty vehicles for model years 2027 through 2032 – the “Greenhouse Gas* Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles – Phase 3.” Trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles are central to the economy by moving goods and freight as well as providing services for industry, transit, among other sectors. Heavy-duty vehicles account for 25% of all greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector, which is itself the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Under these new standards, the heavy-duty industry is expected to realize annualized savings of $3.5 billion compared to annualized costs of about $1.1 billion from 2027 through 2055 Continue reading

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Suniva, Heliene to Make First U.S. Domestic Content Solar Cells

“With this strategic partnership Heliene and Suniva are well-positioned to rapidly scale domestic cell and module manufacturing to meet the surging demand for secure and reliable domestically made crystalline PV modules. Currently, all U.S.-made solar crystalline modules use only imported cells. This partnership will directly address that gap in the U.S. solar supply chain and help strengthen manufacturing capacity to meet increased demand for domestic products,” the companies said in a joint released timed to coincide with a visit by Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen at Suniva yesterday. Continue reading

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PEVE to Become Toyota Battery Company

Toyota Motor (NYSE:TM) in Japan confirmed today that Primearth EV Energy Co., Ltd. (PEVE) will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Toyota Motor. The subsidiary will use the technology advanced through Toyota’s hybrid vehicle battery business to date. and presumably improve on it. The transaction is scheduled to be approved at PEVE’s Annual General Meeting of Shareholders in late June 2024. It’s the latest in a series of moves by Toyota to become a dominant EV company.

“The new company name embodies our determination to leverage the technology and skills honed since PEVE’s establishment in 1996 to contribute to the competitiveness of Japanese batteries and become a company that provides high-quality and highly safe on-board batteries. In addition to batteries for Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs), we plan to produce batteries for Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs). Through our efforts in the production of diverse and next-generation on-board batteries, we hope to create new value and be useful to society,” PEVE said. Continue reading

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EPA Finalizes Vehicle Pollution Standards for 2027-32

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced final national pollution standards for passenger cars, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty vehicles for model years 2027 through 2032 and beyond. The standards will have significant effects on the types of vehicles available, how much they cost to buy, own and operate, as well as the economy and public health in a politically dysfunctional country. Let the lawsuits commence, particularly from anti-environmentalists, the Republican party, and fossil fuel funded groups.

“With transportation as the largest source of U.S. climate emissions, these strongest-ever pollution standards for cars solidify America’s leadership in building a clean transportation future and creating good-paying American jobs, all while advancing President Biden’s historic climate agenda,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “The standards will slash over 7 billion tons of climate pollution, improve air quality in overburdened communities, and give drivers more clean vehicle choices while saving them money. Under President Biden’s leadership, this Administration is pairing strong standards with historic investments to revitalize domestic manufacturing, strengthen domestic supply chains and create good-paying jobs.” Continue reading

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Petroleum Equivalency Factor Change Slows EV Adoption

The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final greenhouse gas and criteria pollutant rules for light-duty vehicles covering model years 2027-2032 is about to be to be announced. It’s part of a tangled maze of regulations from multiple federal and state agencies affecting automakers and ultimately consumers in the US, often referred in shorthand as CAFE – corporate average fuel economy.

In the latest development, The Department of Energy last year proposed decreasing the so-called “petroleum-equivalent fuel economy factor” (PEF) for EVs by 72% in 2027. The Petroleum Equivalency Factor expresses electric vehicle efficiency as equivalent-miles-per-gallon of gasoline for purposes of the EPA’s calculation of manufacturers’ compliance with NHTSA’s CAFE regulations. DOE is responsible for establishing the value of the PEF. With a final rule, issued yesterday,  the PEF will be established for model years beginning in 2027. It slows forcing EV adaption, and in AutoInformed’s view this is a good thing. Continue reading

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Energy Independence – Clean Energy Connector Plugged In

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced an enlightened program that connects families to solar energy through HHS’s Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).* The so-called Clean Energy Connector,** is a tool that connects families to solar energy through HHS’s LIHEAP. The first-of-its-kind software can now be used by local LIHEAP program administrators in Illinois, Washington, D.C., and New Mexico to connect community solar subscriptions to as many as 40,000 households with low incomes.

“Renewable energy is by far the cheapest form of power and now, thanks to innovative solutions developed under the Biden-Harris Administration, more households across America can access the health and savings benefits that solar power provides,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “DOE’s partnership with HHS will increase the deployment of community solar, helping thousands of families lower their energy bills and in turn reduce their energy burden, ensuring Americans across the nation are included as we transition to a clean energy economy,” Granholm claimed. Continue reading

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