“Negotiators in Congress didn’t reach an agreement on language that balanced the need for federal law to protect racers and motorsports parts businesses from EPA enforcement with reasonable measures to ensure that race parts are not used on vehicles driven on roads and public highways,” SEMA said in a statement yesterday just before the Congressional holiday shut down.
SEMA was referring to the “Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act” (RPM)* that has hobbled around congress for three years staring with the 114th Congress, including the 2021–2022 session of Congress. The Senate Environment & Public Works (EPW) Committee and the House Energy & Commerce Committee were involved in the bill, but members weren’t able to get it out of the House or Senate committees for lack of, well, horsepower. Perhaps the bills sponsors, who were overwhelming Republican (102 Rs, 30 Ds), were part of the problem. The Republicans aren’t known for their environmental policies, but rather the opposite as Global Warming repudiators often backed by the fossil fuel industry and perennial opponents to fuel economy or clean air regulations. Continue reading
Stellantis to Buy a Large Part of Faurecia Michelin Hydrogen
A Black Box solution? Click for more information.
Today, Faurecia,* Michelin and Stellantis (NYSE: MTA Euronext Paris: STLA) announced “exclusive” negotiations for Stellantis to acquire a substantial stake in Symbio,** a supplier of zero-emission hydrogen systems, joining existing shareholders Faurecia and Michelin.
Stellantis is tiptoeing into hydrogen mobility having launched mid-size vans in late 2021. Stellantis is pursuing an aggressive ambition as part of the so-called “Dare Forward 2030” strategic plan, which includes expanding its hydrogen offerings to large vans as early as 2024 in Europe and 2025 in the US while further exploring opportunities for heavy-duty trucks. (AutoInformed.com: Dare Forward 2030 – Stellantis Survival Plan Unveiled) Continue reading →