Category Archives: environment

California Requires Electric Trucks by 2045

Trucks are the largest single source of air pollution from vehicles, responsible for 70% of the smog-causing pollution and 80% of carcinogenic diesel soot even though they number only 2 million among the 30 million registered vehicles in the state.  Continue reading

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Top Five Air Pollution Actions to Improve Health, Climate

While some efforts that replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources improve both local health and favorably impact climate change, other, often politically popular programs are of limited value on either front. Continue reading

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Ford Embraces Paris Climate Agreement Globally

This promise came as Ford released its 21st annual Sustainability Report. Ford is also working with California for stronger vehicle greenhouse gas standards. Ford did not mention its current financial crisis that resulted from the Corona virus plague.  Continue reading

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Pennsylvania Sues Carlisle to Stop Swap Meet

Carlisle Events appears to be in a tenuous legal position since it asked for a waiver on June 9, 2020, according to the suit. Then never filed a response to inquiries about how guidelines would be followed. Continue reading

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COVID-19 Ups Auto Use, Mass Transit Drops

An unintended but not surprising effect of the COVID-19 plague see the use of mass transit plummeting as driving use remains resilient, consultancy LMC reports this morning, “As US states and European countries come out of lockdown, a pronounced preference … Continue reading

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COVID-nomics – Plague Meets the Dreary Science

The UK consumer new car finance market reported new business volumes 97% lower in April 2020 compared with the same month in 2019, and a fall of 37% in the first four months of 2020.  The percentage of private new car sales financed by FLA members was 94.5% in the twelve months to April 2020. Continue reading

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Groupe PSA, Punch Powertrain Expand EV JV

Punch Powertrain will contribute its DT2-related business unit, including engineering, manufacturing, and support functions to the new entity which is expected to be operational by the third quarter 2020. Continue reading

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Auto Assembly Plant Restarts  – Yes, Maybe and Unknown

FCA, GM, and Volkswagen announced planned to restart production at four plants during the week of 31 May 2020. Continue reading

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Hershey Swap Meet Cancelled!

With ongoing COVID-19 concerns and Pennsylvania’s legal constraints on more than 25 people gathering, the Hershey Region Chapter, has just said (30 May) on their Facebook page that the enduring event of 65 years taking place at the beginning of October is cancelled. Continue reading

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Rolls-Royce, Daimler Truck to Develop Stationary Fuel-Cells

The Rolls-Royce Power Systems business unit plans to rely on these fuel-cell systems from the planned joint venture – as well as Daimler’s experience in the emergency power generators it develops and distributes for data centers under the MTU product and solution brand. Continue reading

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Draining the Swamp – California, 22 States Sue to Stop Trump Emissions Rollback Citing Economic, Health and Climate Goals

The California Air Resources Board helped develop the original 2012 rules and is represented in this case by the California Attorney General. Trump is among global warming deniers, a position – as usual – that has no basis in fact but is funded by lobbying groups for those who benefit from exploiting fossil fuels. Continue reading

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Risks Versus Odds Versus “WE the People”

It appears that large sub-segments of the U.S.population are anti-science, anti-vaccine or is that dumb and proud of it? They are putting other people at risk. Continue reading

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Canada Contracts GM to Make 10 Million Face Masks

Canada received its Medical Device Establishment License on April 22 and the company built and installed the mask making machinery, sourced materials and trained its workers in approximately one month. Continue reading

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First Virtual Look – 2021 Toyota Venza Two-Row Crossover

All Venza’s will be hybrids – supporting Toyota’s stated goal of selling 25% of its product line as hybrids by 2025 – and all will be AWD. More pertinent to buyers, the 219 horsepower, 5-seat Venza is projected to have an EPA combined mileage of 40 mpg (LE trim and Electronic On-Demand All-Wheel Drive) when it goes on sale this summer. Pricing is not released yet and could be critical to Venza’s success in the salesroom or as is likely online as the U.S. is far, far behind in social distancing and a national response. It does however lead the world in Covid plague deaths. Continue reading

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Limit Vehicle Disease with Bacteria, Virus Resisting Materials

Shashank Modi a Research Engineer at the Center for Automotive Research in Michigan notes that drivers of Uber, Lyft, and other ride-hailing services are concerned about their own health and that of their passengers. Company guidelines recommend ride-hailing drivers to wear masks and disinfect their cars regularly. “But are these safety measures sustainable in the long run? Is there a better way to instill confidence in shared mobility?” asks Modi. Continue reading

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