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Trump Won – What Now for US Clean Energy?
Guy Youngs Donald Trump has always pushed for more oil drilling and fewer regulations, left the Paris Agreement in his first term as president, says he hates “windmills,” has promised to scrap offshore wind on “day one” if he won the 2024 election, and calls climate change a “scam.”
And now that he’s won, this is a direct threat to the US’s pledge to reach net zero by 2050. After all, federal policy directly impacts the pace of renewable energy growth, especially when it comes to incentives and research…
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EV Battery Costs Will Drop To Key Level In 2026
Guy Youngs In 2008, batteries cost $1,355 per kilowatt-hour, and the goal of an $80/kWh EV battery seemed ridiculous. But today the cost of EV batteries is dropping within shouting distance of that $80 goal, pulling the total cost of EV ownership down with it.
The total cost of EV ownership over time, including fuel and maintenance, has been close to, or at parity with, comparable gas automobiles for many years. The deciding factors for specific vehicles vary, but drivers in the US are owning their cars for longer periods — they hit a record average of 12.5 years in 2023 — so that long-term fuel and maintenance savings advantage for EVs can tip the balance.
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EU OKs Tariff Hike on Chinese EVs
Jack Hao The European Union has approved a tariff increase on Chinese electric vehicles, according to the report from Agence France-Presse. Politicians and industry representatives from several European countries had previously expressed opposition to the European Commission’s investigation, and China also condemned the EU’s move to impose additional tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles as a typical act of protectionism.
Several European diplomats told Agence France-Presse that despite strong opposition led by Germany, the EU still approved the imposition of high tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. According to the report, 10 countries, including France and Italy, supported the imposition of a tariff of up to 35.3% on top of the existing 10% tariff. Five countries, including Germany and Hungary, voted against, and another 12 countries abstained.
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VW Employment “Earthquake” Hits Germany
ALTERNATIVE POWER REPORT
Guy Youngs Volkswagen Group has let it be known that it might need to shutter two factories in Germany. It also indicated it might need to end the “guaranteed employment” policy it has adhered to for decades that is designed to ensure workers there will always be a job for them within the Volkswagen family. The news has rocked the company and has been described as an earthquake by some in the German media
Layoffs, which are common in the industry, are not the Volkswagen way,…
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Battery Made from Stone Could Transform EVs
Researchers at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) have developed a super-ionic material based on potassium silicate, a compound extracted from ordinary rocks. This innovation could potentially revolutionize the way we power electric cars.
Potassium silicate, the key material in this new battery technology, is abundantly available in the earth's crust. Potassium silicate is also resilient to air and moisture, allowing it to be easily integrated into batteries as a thin layer without the need…
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Fast Charging Gets Faster in LFP Batteries
Zeekr, an electric vehicle (EV) maker within the Geely Auto group, has integrated its self-developed fast-charging battery technology, based on lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) chemistry, into its latest vehicles
According to the company, the 75 kWh battery pack supports ‘5.5C ultra-fast charging,’ enabling vehicles to charge from 10% to 80% in just 10.5 minutes using 800V charging at Zeekr’s proprietary stations.
Source: PV Magazine: Read The Article
PSR Analysis: Until this, all Lithium -ion batteries…
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Tata Negotiates for Production Plant in Brazil
BRAZIL/SOUTH AMERICA REPORT
Fabio Ferraresi The São Paulo state government is working to attract the attention of automotive companies to the state, including Tata Motors, a subsidiary of the giant Indian-based Tata Group.
Tata’s staff has been in Brazil since the end of August 2024 and they will meet São Paulo government again in Germany by the end of September.
The secretary of Government, Jorge Lima, also revealed negotiations with a Chinese auto parts manufacturers for a factory in the state. The…
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Colombia Resumes Taxing Vehicles from Brazil
BRAZIL/SOUTH AMERICA REPORT
Starting in 2025, vehicle exports from Brazil to Colombia will once again be taxed at a 54% rate. The tax exemption agreement, in place since 2017, will not be renewed. According to the Colombian government, this decision is designed to protect its local automotive industry, currently dominated by Renault. This is a setback for Brazilian manufacturers, who exported fewer vehicles in 2024, with a 30% drop compared to the previous year.
Source: Automotive Business …
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Malaysia H1 2024 Car Sales Gain Ground
MALAYSIA REPORT
Akihiro Komuro New vehicle sales in the six major Southeast Asian countries in the first six months of 2024 fell 9% year-on-year to about 1.49 million units, the lowest level since 2021, when they were battered by COVID-19. Malaysia, which has benefited from strong domestic demand, is closing in on Indonesia, the largest market in the region.
Malaysia grew by 7% to 390,296 units. Sales growth was driven by strong domestic demand linked to economic growth. Sales of domestically produced small cars such as the Proton and Produa were particularly strong. In contrast, sales in Indonesia, the region’s largest market, fell 19% to 408,012 units due to a decline in the use of car loans and other factors caused by high policy interest rates. Thailand was down 24% to 308,027 units; Vietnam was down 2% to 134,884 units and the Philippines was up 10% to 227,225 units.
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