Hybrid Vehicles Adapted as Alternative To EVs

News: Legislation

2024-06-18

Hybrid Vehicles Adapted as Alternative To EVs

INDIA REPORT
Aditya Kondejkar

Hybrid vehicles are gaining traction in India as a practical alternative to fully electric vehicles (EVs), a trend driven by strategic manufacturer initiatives, evolving consumer preferences, and infrastructural and policy challenges.

Major automakers like Maruti Suzuki, Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai, and Kia are launching hybrid models to meet the increasing demand for fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly vehicles. Hybrids offer a balanced solution, providing the benefits of both internal combustion engines and electric powertrains without the range anxiety associated with EVs.

Despite higher taxes on hybrids compared to EVs, the slow development of EV infrastructure and long waiting periods for EVs make hybrids a more viable option for many consumers. The hybrid market is expected to continue its growth, supported by ongoing innovation and potential policy adjustments to reduce costs, positioning hybrids as a crucial component in India’s journey towards sustainable transportation.

Read More»

2024-05-27

Unsold Chinese EVs Clogging European Ports

Guy Youngs
Guy Youngs

The threat of masses of cheap EVs made in China has governments concerned in Europe and the US. The USA has introduced a bill that would raise the tariff on EVs from China to 100% to protect US auto workers “from the existential threat posed by China” but Europe has no such tariff protections. The lack of high import tariffs has encouraged Chinese manufacturers to look to Europe as a place where they can send boatloads (literally) of electric cars.

A report by the Financial Times claims that Chinese manufacturers are sending more EVs to Europe than they can sell, which has led to thousands of EVs being parked at port facilities. The port operators are displeased because the glut of cars is interfering with other port activities. Some now say they are no longer ports but rather car parks for newly arrived Chinese EVs

Read More»

2023-10-23

EU May Impose Tariffs on Chinese EVs

In her annual State of The EU address on Sept. 13, 2023, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen suggested that Chinese manufacturers are dumping Chinese EVs on EU customers that are priced below what domestic manufacturers charge.

She suggested that the root cause of the problem is the heavy subsidies provided to Chinese automakers by the central government — subsidies that allow them to sell Chinese EVs at artificially low prices to the detriment of domestic companies. If so, she warned the EU would consider imposing new tariffs on Chinese cars to level the playing field.

Read More»

2023-08-20

Methane Is A Big Greenhouse Gas Problem

The world has a methane gas problem. Methane is over 80 times worse for forcing global heating over 20 years than its greenhouse gas sibling, carbon dioxide.

And yet we love to burn natural gas, which is mostly methane, to make electricity and heat. Our agricultural and food systems leave a lot of biomass lying around where a lot of it turns into methane and enters the atmosphere. Acceptable limits of leakage are suggested at 0.2%, however evidence suggests that actual leakage to be in the range of 1.5% to 3%

Read More»

New Machinery Requirements

Christopher Bamforth
Christopher Bamforth

New Machinery requirements have been published for Europe and will replace the existing Machinery Directive Jan. 20, 2027. OEMs will have to be compliant with the new requirements on that day since there is no transition period.

With a heavy focus on safety, the environment and machine learning, the main takeaways are that these are EU regulations. This means that manufacturers will not have to wait for each member state’s upgrade of the regulation into law. This may streamline the process although it could mean big changes for some member states that previously had fewer requirements.

And there’s another important consideration. Since we have entered the digital age, all certifications and instructions can be in digital format. One exception is the non-professional machinery’s safety measures which must be included in paper format.

Read More»