Category Archives: global warming

First Look – New Volvo EX30 Cross Country

Posted on 10 February 2025 by Ken Zino

Volvo Cars (Nasdaq Stockholm VOLCAR B)* at a literal fireside chat in the North of Sweden revealed today the new EX30 Cross Country SUV. Outdoors equipment brand Fjällräven was part of the show. The EX30 Cross Country is a compact fully-electric SUV. The Volvo EX30 Cross Country is available to order now in selected markets, with deliveries starting later this spring. It will eventually appear in North America.**

“We launched our first Cross Country car over 25 years ago, and this concept of durable and all-weather cars is core to the Volvo brand,” said Jim Rowan, Volvo Cars’ CEO. “In Sweden we face harsh winters, but we also like to make the most of them by getting out and exploring our amazing nature, even when it’s minus 20 Celsius outside. That’s why we want to deliver a fully rounded experience, not simply a car, to our EX30 Cross Country customers.” Continue reading →

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MBUSA Recalling EQB models for Battery Fires

Posted on 10 February 2025 by Ken Zino

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is recalling more than 7000 model year 2022-2024 EQB 250, EQB 300 4MATIC, and EQB 350 4MATIC electric vehicles. The high voltage battery may fail internally and lead to a vehicle fire while parked or driving.

In the mandatory safety defect recall filing made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this morning, MBUSA said, “Due to the combination of certain production and vehicle use conditions, an internal short circuit of a battery cell in the high-voltage battery might occur, which could lead to the risk of a fire.” The defective software supplier is Farasis Energy-Ganzhou in China. Continue reading →

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Global Warming – U.S. Lags on EV Truck Battery Swapping

Posted on 10 February 2025 by Ken Zino

China is currently the largest market for deploying battery swapping trucks, The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy* said this morning in a well-researched and extensive analysis of zero-emission truck strategies. In 2023, 14% of all zero-emissions heavy-duty vehicles sold (12-month average) in China were swap-capable (Jin and Mao 2024). Tractor-trailers and dump trucks were the main applications for battery swap-capable HDVs. In China, 50% of zero-emissions tractor-trailers and 53% of zero-emissions dump trucks sold in 2023 were swap-capable.

Battery swapping is also emerging in other international markets. Janus Electric, an Australian manufacturer, advertises ranges of around 250 – 370 miles for its HDV technology that allows for battery swapping. In Japan, Ample, Inc., an American-based battery swapping company focused on light- and medium-duty electric vehicles serving shorter ranges, and Mitsubishi Fuso is piloting its technology with Mitsubishi’s light-duty eCanter electric truck using Ample’s battery swapping technology The pilot will test battery swapping for shorter driving ranges (~62-200 miles) in an urban environment. Continue reading →

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Chevrolet Blazer EV SS to Pace Daytona 500 on Sunday

Posted on 10 February 2025 by Ken Zino

Chevrolet said this morning that a 2025 Blazer EV SS, the fastest SS model Chevrolet ever, will pace the 67th DAYTONA 500 at Daytona International Speedway this Sunday in box stock form. The Blazer EV SS, set to go on sale late in Q1, is equipped with Wide Open Watts (WOW), which propels the vehicle from 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds with 615 horsepower and 650 lb.-ft. torque. The pace car is a production vehicle with no performance upgrades, but has custom graphics and embedded strobe lighting. It’s the first EV to ever pace the race. Continue reading →

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NOAA – 2024 Was Earth’s Warmest Year on Record

Posted on 7 February 2025 by Ken Zino

Planet Earth’s average land and ocean surface temperature in 2024 was 2.32 degrees F (1.29 degrees C) above the 20th-century average, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This was the highest global temperature among all years in NOAA’s 1850-2024 climate record. It was 0.18 of a degree F (0.10 of a degree C) warmer than 2023, which previously was the warmest year on record. Regionally, Africa, Europe, North America, Oceania and South America (tied with 2023) had their warmest year on record. Asia and the Arctic had their second-warmest year on record.

The planet’s 10 warmest years since 1850 have all occurred in the past decade. In 2024, global temperature exceeded the pre-industrial (1850–1900) average by 2.63 degrees F (1.46 degrees C). Other scientific organizations, including NASA, the Copernicus Climate Change Service and the UK Met Office have conducted separate but similar analyses that also rank 2024 as the warmest year on record. Continue reading →

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Volvo Car USA and Canada Posts January Sales Increase

Posted on 5 February 2025 by Ken Zino

Volvo Car USA and Canada (Nasdaq Stockholm VOLCAR B) today reported sales of 8755 cars for January, up 5.4% year-over-year. Electrified models, fully electric or plug-in hybrid powertrain, increased 43.8% year-over year (YoY). They accounted for 35.8 % of sales during the first month of the year.

“We are excited to see a strong start to the year and look forward to continued growth in the US and Canada with our new XC90, EX90 and EX30 SUVs complementing a full lineup of cars that make life easier, better and safer for everyone,” said Mike Cottone, President, Volvo Car USA and Canada. No mention whatsoever was made of President Trump’s ongoing and unpredictable trade and tariff wars.* Continue reading →

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Ford Motor Shuffles Leadership Amid Trump Chaos

Posted on 5 February 2025 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F)* today announced key executive changes as the chaos of the Trump administration continues to cause as yet unknown damages to the economy and the auto industry. Two positions, John Lawler to vice chair to look after strategy, partnerships and alliances; and Sam Wu,President Ford China adding Ford’s International Markets Group, will require insight, and frankly lucky hunches given Trump’s random, variable and reversible assaults on trade, tariff’s and vital international organizations to return Ford Motor to a reliably profitable path. Continue reading →

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Suzuki, Daihatsu, Toyota to Release EV Mini-Commercial Vans

Posted on 29 January 2025 by Ken Zino

Suzuki Motor Corporation, Daihatsu Motor Company and Toyota Motor Corporation said today that they have decided to aim for the release of their mini-commercial van electric vehicles (BEVs) respectively in fiscal 2025.*

“This mini-commercial van BEV, jointly developed by the three companies, combines Suzuki and Daihatsu’s expertise in creating small-size cars with Toyota’s electrification technology and is equipped with a BEV system suitable for mini-commercial vehicles. Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies Corporation also participated in the planning to achieve a vehicle with optimal specifications for efficient last-mile logistics,” the companies said in a joint release. Continue reading →

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Stellantis Buys All of the Punch Powertrain JV

Posted on 29 January 2025 by Ken Zino

Stellantis (NYSE:STLA) announced today that it has acquired all the shares in the joint venture created in 2018 with the Belgian multinational Punch Powertrain, an original equipment maker of transmission and propulsion systems in the automotive sector. In the complex world of global automakers, the JV worked in the plants at Metz (FR) and Turin, at the Mirafiori complex (IT), where the advanced eDCT (Electrified Dual Clutch Transmission) gearboxes are produced. They will be seen in the entire Stellantis range of Mild Hybrid (MHEV) vehicles and the new generation of Plug-in (PHEV) vehicles.

“With this decision, Stellantis assumes full management of the design and production activities of the eDCT transmissions, characterized by class leading performance in terms of weight and production cost, fuel savings and reductions in harmful emissions,” the muti-national auto maker said in a release. Continue reading →

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Pre-Trump US Q3 EV Sales Set All Time Record

Posted on 23 January 2025 by Ken Zino

During Q3 of 2024, automakers sold 408,688 electric vehicles (EVs include battery, plug-in hybrid, and fuel cell electric vehicles) in the United States, meaning 10.6% of overall light-duty vehicle sales. This represents a 0.6 percentage point (pp) market share increase compared to the second quarter of 2024 amounting to an increase of ~22,000 vehicle sales. Simply put this makes EV Sales volume in Q3 the highest on record according to data released today by the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a trade and lobbying group for automakers. Continue reading →

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HF Sinclair Plea Deal – Climate- and Health-Harming Emissions

Posted on 17 January 2025 by Ken Zino

The Justice Department, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) announced today a proposed settlement with HF Sinclair Navajo Refining LLC, an HF Sinclair Corp. subsidiary, resolving alleged Clean Air Act and New Mexico Air Quality Control Act violations at the company’s oil refinery in Artesia, New Mexico. The refinery is adjacent to a community overburdened by pollution. This settlement is part of the Justice Department and EPA’s ongoing commitment to address unlawful pollution in historically marginalized and dis-proportionally impacted communities.

“This settlement reinforces the United States’ commitment to protect communities from illegal refinery benzene and VOC emissions,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Katherine E. Konschnik of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “Under the settlement, the refinery will make significant capital investments in pollution controls and implement additional programs to improve air quality and reduce health impacts on the residents of Artesia, including the students at Roselawn Elementary School.” Continue reading →

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Toyota’s Hino Motors Emissions Fraud – $1.6B Plea Deal

Posted on 16 January 2025 by Ken Zino

The U.S. Justice Department, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), FBI, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and State of California reached criminal and multiple civil resolutions, valued at more than $1.6 billion, with Hino Motors Ltd., Hino Motors Manufacturing U.S.A., Inc. and Hino Motors Sales U.S.A., Inc. (collectively, Hino) for violations related to the submission of false and fraudulent engine emission testing and fuel consumption data to regulators and the illicit smuggling of engines into the United States. These resolutions are subject to approval by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

“Hino knew the requirements that engines must meet to be certified to operate in the United States, yet it falsified data for years to skirt regulations,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) yesterday. “Hino’s actions led to vast amounts of excess air pollution and were an egregious violation of our nation’s environmental, consumer protection and import laws.” Continue reading →

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CARB Eases Portable Generator Rules Because of Wildfires

Posted on 13 January 2025 by Ken Zino

In California, every portable generator rated at or below 19 kilowatts must be certified to California emission standards in order to be legally sold. “However, in some areas, there is currently a shortage of California certified portable generators available for sale due to the increased demand resulting from on-going wildfires. During this emergency, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) will exercise maximum discretion with regard to the sale and use of new generators less than 19 kilowatts in size by temporarily allowing (through June 30, 2025) the import, distribution, sale, and offer for sale of U.S. EPA certified generators,” CARB said over the weekend. Continue reading →

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Honda 0 Saloon and Honda 0 SUV Protypes Debut

Posted on 7 January 2025 by Ken Zino

Honda today held the world premiere of the first two models in the company’s new 0 Series line of battery electric vehicles at the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show. The so called Honda 0 SUV and Honda 0 Saloon(sedan in U.S. car speak)  use the 0 as a reference to emissions levels and their SAE Level 3 eyes-off autonomous driving – not as seems appropriate here to the amount of styling that went into the boxes. Production models based on both prototypes will launch in North America in 2026 followed by global markets. Both will initially be built at the Honda EV Hub in Ohio. Continue reading →

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Mazda to Make its First Pure EV in Hiroshima

Posted on 6 January 2025 by Ken Zino

Mazda Motor Corporation said today in Hiroshima that it will build a new module pack plant for automotive cylindrical lithium-ion battery cells in Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. The new plant will produce modules and packs of automotive cylindrical lithium-ion battery cells procured from Panasonic Energy Co. The completed battery packs will be installed in Mazda’s first battery EV that uses a dedicated EV platform and will be manufactured at Mazda’s Hiroshima plant. The annual production capacity is planned to be 10 GWh. Continue reading →

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