EPA Emergency Order Allows Summer Sale of E15 Gasoline

Posted on 28 April 2023 by Ken Zino

The US Environmental Protection Agency today is issuing an emergency fuel waiver to allow E15 gasoline, gasoline blended with 15% ethanol, to be sold during the summer driving season. EPA’s waiver is effective 1 May when terminal operators would otherwise no longer be able to sell E15 in the affected regions of the country.

It will last through 20 May, which is the statutory maximum of 20 days. EPA will continue to monitor the supply with industry and federal associates. EPA expects to issue new waivers effectively extending the emergency fuel waiver until such time as the “extreme and unusual fuel supply circumstances” due to the war in Ukraine are no longer present. Continue reading →

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EV Battery Gold Rush – Stellantis and Alliance Nickel

Posted on 28 April 2023 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on EV Battery Gold Rush Persists with Stellantis and GME

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Stellantis N.V. (NYSE: MTA. Euronext Paris: STLA) and Alliance Nickel Ltd (formerly GME Resources – ASX: AXN, Alliance) today announced the signing of a binding offtake agreement for the supply of 170,000 tons of nickel sulphate and 12,000 tons of cobalt sulphate in total over a five-year period. This represents ~40% of forecast annual production of the NiWest Nickel-Cobalt Project in Western Australia. Pricing for the nickel and cobalt sulphate is linked to index prices. This advances the MoU on the sale of battery nickel and cobalt sulphate from Western Australia entered last October. (EV Battery Gold Rush Persists with Stellantis and GME)

NiWest is an advanced nickel-cobalt development project in Western Australia that hopes to produce ~90,000 tpa (tons per annum) of battery grade nickel and cobalt sulphate for the electric vehicle market. To date, more than AU$30 million has been invested into drilling, metallurgical test work and development studies. Continue reading →

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Vice Admiral Tighe Shattering Glass at GM Board of Directors

Posted on 28 April 2023 by Ken Zino

General Motors (NYSE: GM) announced today that Vice Admiral Jan Tighe, former US Navy Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Warfare and Director of Naval Intelligence, has been nominated by GM’s Board of Directors to stand for election at the company’s annual shareholder meeting on June 20, 2023.

“GM’s future will be driven by a software-first approach that enables a faster cycle of innovation, an elevated experience for our customers and a more efficient enterprise,” said GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra. Continue reading →

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Decarbonizing Shipping Fleets – a Complex, Uncertain Course

Posted on 27 April 2023 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on deadly pollution from China Shipping Terminal at the Port of Los Angeles and Decarbonizing Shipping Fleets – a Complex, Uncertain Course

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Shipping companies, as with other progressive and awakened corporate citizens, spurred by regulation, customer demand, investor pressure, and internal goals, are probing ways to decarbonize fleets. Greener-fuel possibilities abound in the maritime world, and the industry is in a period of experimentation and exploration to understand the implications of adopting such fuels, according to t note from the respected McKinsey consultancy received by AutoInformed today. (autoinformed.com on: DOJ Thwarts Chinese Takeover of Shipping Containers)

To learn how industry leaders are thinking about future fuels, the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation, the Global Maritime Forum, and the Mærsk McKinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping conducted a survey (with analytical support provided by McKinsey) of shipping companies. Collectively, these companies own and operate fleets – including container ships, tankers, dry bulkers, gas carriers, car carriers, cruise ships, tugs, and offshore vessels – comprising ~20% of the world’s total capacity. Continue reading →

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Death of the Diesel – CARB In-Use Locomotive Regulation

Posted on 27 April 2023 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Death of the Diesel - EPA Fines Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Services

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The California Air Resources Board (CARB) today passed a new rule designed to reduce emissions from locomotives when they operate within the state. Under the new In-Use Locomotive Regulation, operators will now be required to pay into a spending account, and the amount will be determined by the emissions they create while operating in California. Companies will be able to use the funds to upgrade to cleaner locomotive technologies. Locomotives also will have a 30-minute idling limit. Moreover, switch, industrial and passenger locomotives built in 2030 or after will be required to operate in zero-emissions configurations while in California, and in 2035 for freight line haul.

“Locomotives are a key part of California’s transportation network, and it’s time that they are part of the solution to tackle pollution and clean our air,” said CARB Chair Liane Randolph. “With the new regulation, we are moving toward a future where all transportation operations in the state will be zero emissions.” Continue reading →

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Tesoro Refining to Pay Penalty for Consent Decree Violations

Posted on 27 April 2023 by Ken Zino

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Department of Justice today announced that Tesoro Refining and Marketing Company will pay a $27.5 million penalty for violating a 2016 consent decree ordering the company to reduce air pollution at its petroleum refinery in Martinez, CA. Simply put, Tesoro failed to limit air emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOX), a pollutant that contributes to smog.

“Tesoro did not meet the consent decree pollution limit because it did not install adequate pollution controls,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Larry Starfield for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “As this settlement shows, EPA will seek substantial penalties when companies delay installing appropriate pollution controls to meet environmental obligations.” Continue reading →

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GM to Move to Unified Automotive Software Standards

Posted on 27 April 2023 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on GM to Move to Unified Automotive Software Standards

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General Motors (NYSE: GM) said today that it is joining the Eclipse Foundation, a so-called open-source software foundation. GM has also contributed “uProtocol” as a starting point for standardization. In theory, this will allow increased software productivity across the automotive industry. GM said it can lead to easy-to-use, software-enabled customer experiences. The protocol aims to speed up software development by streamlining the creation of software that is distributed across multiple devices within vehicles as well as across the cloud and mobile applications.

GM will join the Eclipse Foundation’s Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) Working Group, which is focused on accelerating innovation of automotive-grade software stacks using open source and open specifications developed by and for a growing community of engineers and member companies. Collaborators on GM’s Ultifi software platform include Microsoft, Red Hat, and other automakers, participate in the group. Continue reading →

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US New Vehicle Sales Soar in April 2023 at 1.3 Million

Posted on 27 April 2023 by Ken Zino

Total US new-vehicle sales for April 2023, including retail and non-retail transactions will reach 1,316,500 units, a 9.8% increase from April 2022, according to a joint forecast from J.D. Power and LMC Automotive* released today. Comparing the same sales volume without adjusting for the number of selling days translates to an increase of 5.7% from 2022. Either way, the economic recovery continues under the current administration.

“The industry is poised for another favorable month in April, with projected retail sales expected to increase 5.9%, accompanied by a 2% increase in average transaction prices. Consequently, it’s expected that consumers will spend ~$47.5 billion on new vehicles this month, reflecting 2.9% growth compared with the same month a year ago,” said Thomas King, president of the data and analytics division at J.D. Power. Continue reading →

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OTA – More Horsepower for Mercedes EQE, EQS Customers

Posted on 26 April 2023 by Ken Zino

Mercedes-Benz said in Atlanta today that EQE and EQS customers in North America can now opt for more performance with the new “Acceleration Increase On-Demand upgrade,” available as an Over-the-Air update (OTA) This applies to Sedan and SUV models. The upgrade raises the vehicle’s output by as much as 80 horsepower.

Mercedes claims that this improves acceleration from 0-to- 60 mph by as much as a full second. The upgrade is available to customers in the “Mercedes me connect Store.” There are several options – a one-time purchase for the lifetime of the vehicle or monthly and yearly choices. Welcome to the world of web marketing and instant customization. This being Mercedes, it is perhaps pricey at $60-90 a month or $3000 lifetime or maybe not. Continue reading →

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EPA – Children Especially Vulnerable to Climate Change

Posted on 25 April 2023 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on EPA - Children Especially Vulnerable to Climate Change

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Climate change-related effects in childhood can have lifelong consequences due to effects on learning, physical health, and housing security, according to an EPA report released today. The new national-scale, multi-sector EPA report shows some of the ways children are especially vulnerable to a variety of health effects from climate change due to physical, cognitive, behavioral, and social factors.

“Understanding health risks to children is critical for developing effective and equitable strategies that will protect our current and future generations,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Today’s report will help further efforts being taken by the Biden Administration across the Federal government to address the climate crisis and advance environmental justice.” Continue reading →

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GM Posts 2023 Q1 Revenues of $40B, Earnings of $2.4B

Posted on 25 April 2023 by Ken Zino

General Motors (NYSE: GM) today reported first-quarter 2023 revenue of $40.0 billion, net income attributable to stockholders of $2.4 billion – EBIT-adjusted $3.8 billion. Earnings per share of $2.21 increased from $2.09 (diluted and adjusted) year-over-year. GM delivered 1.38 million vehicles globally, off slightly from Q4 2022. Overall, the decent, arguably championship, performance was highlighted by the restructuring of General Motors International (GMI) that resulted in record profits, excluding China. GM left Wall Street expectations in its dust as it surpassed them. 

“Once again, we delivered strong earnings thanks to healthy customer demand for our vehicles, our intense focus on operational excellence, and great teamwork between General Motors, our dealers, our suppliers and our unions. I want to thank everyone for their efforts,” said CEO Mary Barra. Continue reading →

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Hyundai Motor Group, SK On Approve US Battery Cell JV

Posted on 25 April 2023 by Ken Zino

Hyundai Motor Group in Seoul today said that its Boards of Directors approved plans to set up an electric vehicle (EV) battery cell production joint venture in the US with partner SK On. The Group affiliates Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation and Hyundai Mobis each approved the plan at their respective board meetings. 

In November 2022, the Group signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with SK On to secure EV battery supply for North America. The total investment amount for the joint venture is expected to be  ~$5 billion, with the Group and SK On each holding a 50% stake. Continue reading →

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GM, Samsung SDI Announce New US Battery Cell Plant

Posted on 25 April 2023 by Ken Zino

General Motors (NYSE: GM) and Samsung SDI announced today they plan to invest more than $3 billion to build a new battery cell manufacturing plant in the United States. The plant will have more than 30 GWh of capacity and will bring GM’s total U.S. battery cell capacity to about 160 GWh when it is at full production in ~2026. The companies plan to jointly operate the facility, and it is projected to have production lines to build nickel-rich prismatic and cylindrical cells.

“It is a great pleasure to take the very first step to create a long-term industry-leading partnership with GM in the U.S. EV market,” remarked Samsung SDI President and CEO Yoon-ho Choi. “We will do our best to provide the products featuring the highest levels of safety and quality produced with our unrivaled technologies to help GM strengthen its leadership in the EV market.” Continue reading →

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CARB Approves Toyota HD Fuel Cell Electric Powertrain Kit

Posted on 24 April 2023 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on CARB Approves Toyota HD Fuel Cell Electric Powertrain Kit

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Toyota (NYSE:TM) announced today in Texas that it was recently granted a Zero Emission Powertrain (ZEP) Executive Order from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) for its new heavy-duty fuel cell electric powertrain. The hydrogen-fueled powertrain kit includes hydrogen fuel storage tanks, fuel cell stacks, batteries, electric motors, and transmission. It offers an viable alternative to traditional diesel powertrains used in commercial goods transportation as companies look to transition fleets to zero-emission vehicles. (autoinformed.com on: Toyota, Hino to Make Class-8 Fuel-Cell Electric Truck)

“Toyota aims to reduce or eliminate emissions for all mobility solutions, and our fuel cell electric powertrains have proven that hydrogen can play a significant role in the emissions reduction of emissions from heavy-duty transportation,” said Scott Friedman, senior program manager advanced mobility, Toyota Motor North America. “Receiving the Zero-Emission Powertrain Executive Order from CARB is a key achievement for our teams who have dedicated an incredible amount of time and effort, and we are excited to offer this powertrain commercially in the near future.” Continue reading →

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Marketing Annals – Dream Chaser Trax to Great Lakes Activist

Posted on 24 April 2023 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on - Marketing Annals - Dream Chaser Trax to Great Lakes Activist

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Chevrolet today announced the winner of its “Lead Dream Chaser,” a three-month contest reward for one person to pursue their dream or passion project with a cash prize and three months use of the 2024 Chevy Trax, which arrives this spring. (autoinformed.com on: Marketing Annals – Chevy Trax Dream Chaser Contest Opens)

Meag Schwartz, described as a local Michigan activist and environmental educator, won on the basis of her pursuing protecting and cleaning up the Great Lakes. “Known as “The Great Lakes Litter Lady,” Schwartz is a dedicated advocate for freshwater and dreams of growing her marine debris removal passion project, “Great Lakes Great Responsibility”. She will receive $100,000 and three months with the new 2024 Chevy Trax to help make her dream possible,” Chevrolet said. Continue reading →

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