Free Republic

Scandal-scarred electric semi-truck maker Nikola — a pandemic darling once valued at $30 billion — filed for bankruptcy on Wednesday. The company said it is seeking an auction and sale process of its assets, becoming the latest electric-vehicle maker to stumble after grappling with tepid demand, rapid cash burn and funding challenges. “Like other companies in the electric vehicle industry, we have faced various market and macroeconomic factors that have impacted our ability to operate,” chief executive Steve Girsky said in a statement. **SNIP** Nikola shares plummeted 40% Wednesday morning. Electric car sales have been faltering in the US due...

In the last decade, China has rapidly expanded its “green” new energy vehicle (NEV) industry but recycling and disposing of hundreds of thousands of tons of used car batteries has become a pressing issue due to environmental concerns. Growth in China’s NEV industry took off in 2014 when nearly 78,500 NEVs were produced and some 75,000 were sold. As of September of this year, China’s NEV registration reached 6.78 million, of which 5.52 million are fully electric vehicles. The NEV industry predicts that its production and sales growth rate will remain above 40 percent in the next five years prompting...

California regulators withdrew a proposal to mandate the sale of zero-emissions trucks over the next 20 years on Tuesday evening. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) pulled back its request to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a waiver that would have allowed the state to require massive increases in sales of electric or zero-emissions truck models over the coming decades. As of 2023, only 0.3% of all registered heavy-duty vehicles in the U.S. were zero-emissions models, according to the International Council on Clean Transportation. CARB’s Advanced Clean Fleets rule would have mandated California’s truck fleet to move to zero-emission...

The best time to buy an electric vehicle may be right now. That’s because a $7,500 federal tax credit could soon disappear. President-elect Donald Trump has said he will move to eliminate the tax credit, possibly as soon as he takes office. It is even conceivable that the tax credit’s elimination could be made retroactive to the beginning of January, which would give EV buyers only a week left to be certain of locking in the credit. “I would be very inclined to say yes, it’s going away,” said Ivan Drury, director of insights at car buying site Edmunds. While...

President Joe Biden is set to allow California to ban the production of new gas-powered vehicles after 2035. California and 11 other states were awaiting permission for the ambitious measure, which Biden is set to give in one of his final acts during the lame-duck period, two people briefed on the matter told the New York Times. President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly signaled his opposition to the measure, setting up a legal battle for the second administration. One-quarter of vehicles bought in California are electric, the highest in any state, yet still far behind the aimed-for 100% in a decade....

Elon Musk Announces Tesla's NEW Aluminum-ion Super Battery with 15-min Charging Elon Musk’s latest announcement could change everything about electric vehicles. Tesla is rolling out an all-new aluminum-ion battery that promises to be a game-changer, boasting rapid 15-minute charging times. The technology has been years in the making, but it could lead to a future where Elon Musk is quite literally, on top of the world. Imagine charging your electric car in just 15 minutes—Elon Musk's latest breakthrough could make it a reality and revolutionize the future of transportation as we know it. Curious to know how this innovation could...

Workers at Volkswagen factories across Germany have begun strikes after the manufacturer threatened to close plants amid falling demand and a slower-than-expected transition to electric vehicles. Workers on their morning shifts went on strike for two hours, while those on the evening shift plan to leave work early in protest at the carmaker's demands, which include a 10% wage cut. At Volkswagen's main plant in Wolfsburg, which employs 70,000 people, a two-hour strike means several hundred cars cannot be built, union sources said. In addition to Wolfsburg and Hanover, which employs a further 14,000 staff, plants affected include Zwickau, VW's...

Prospective car buyers considering an electric vehicle may need to act fast to get a Biden-era EV tax credit worth up to $7,500, due to the likelihood that President-elect Donald Trump and Republicans on Capitol Hill will axe those savings in tax negotiations next year, according to auto and legal experts. “There’s no question there’s real risk in the EV credit going away” in 2025, said Jamie Wickett, a partner at law firm Hogan Lovells who specializes in federal tax policy, energy and the environment. “If you’re a consumer in the market for an EV, I would without a doubt...

During an interview with the Fox News Channel aired on Friday’s “Special Report,” Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) responded to arguments that electric vehicle adoption should be determined by consumer demand by saying “Okay, but can I also remind you that the companies didn’t like catalytic converters? They didn’t like seat belts.” And that while companies should see what consumers want, “we also need to make sure that we are ready for the vehicles of the future and global climate change is real.” Dingell said, [relevant exchange begins around 4:45] “We are not banning the production of internal combustion engines. People...

A mysterious "cooling EV sentiment" has affected nearly every automaker, and even Ford’s once white-hot electric pickup truck may be starting to feel the burn. As dealers struggle to sell remaining 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning models, Ford is inventing new ways to move metal. One way is by introducing Retail Replenishment Centers (RRCs), locations dedicated to holding inventory to manage flooring costs and space for dealers. Ford is enticing dealers to “buy now,” and dealerships can earn up to $22,500 per month by ordering trucks from the RRC. Ford hopes to move more electric trucks with dramatic dealer incentives According...

Lithium Powered Emergency Vehicle Burns Down Fire Station by Steve MacDonald October 19, 2024 First, and more importantly, no one was injured after a fire in a fire station destroyed over 20 million Euros worth of equipment, including a dozen vehicles. The cause is known—lithium batteries connected to a charger. AN EV emergency vehicle on charge achieved thermal runaway and took out an entire fire station. Did I mention that no one was injured in the fire? There has been no word on the emissions released as a result of the incident. As you know, we are keenly interested in...

This is a summary generated by ChatGPT. RethinkX reveals the shocking exponential growth of battery storage worldwide (00:00) Battery storage is growing faster than any other industry worldwide, driven by demand from solar and wind energy. (00:35) Tony Seba and RethinkX reveal that battery storage is expanding at an unprecedented pace, positioning companies in the sector for potential billions in profit. (01:04) The combination of solar and batteries is now the cheapest energy source globally, surpassing traditional fossil fuels. (02:05) By 2030, it will be possible and affordable to meet 100% of global electricity demand through solar, wind, and batteries,...

Despite government subsidies, mandates and promotion, demand for electric vehicles (EVs) is still so low that car thieves don’t think they’re worth stealing — but, if they are stolen, they’ll cost more to replace than traditional, gas-powered vehicles. While the Biden-Harris Administration provides tax credits to people who buy electric vehicles, there are no such incentives for those who might steal them. A record number of vehicles were stolen in the U.S., but electric vehicles were far less likely to be stolen, a Highway Loss Data Institute analysis of insured vehicles model years 2021-23 finds. Four of the six vehicles...

Ford Motor Company is hoping to boost sales of its electric vehicles (EVs) by giving away free at-home charging stations, executives announced this week. “Auto shoppers say they’re more likely to buy an electric vehicle if they could fill up at home. So we’re going to make it easy for our customers,” Ford CEO Jim Farley wrote on X: If you buy or lease a new [Ford] electric vehicle, we’ll include a complimentary home charger. This is part of something we’re calling the Ford Power Promise, which is about giving our electric vehicle customers convenience, peace of mind and expert...

A homeowner’s plan to make his home greener by switching to a heat pump and installing solar panels in 2023 took an unexpected turn when his then insurance company, CAA, nearly cancelled his policy over the upgrades – eventually pulling coverage entirely due to the solar panels. A CBC News report cited Adam Szabo as saying: “I was confused, of course. I’m like, ‘What do you mean?’ It just doesn’t make sense, right?” Szabo’s desire to boost his property’s value, reduce environmental impact, and lower energy costs was overshadowed by insurance complications he didn’t foresee.

Georgia Tech researchers developed a new iron chloride cathode that could slash lithium-ion battery costs and revolutionize electric vehicles and energy storage. A research team from multiple institutions, led by Hailong Chen of Georgia Tech, has developed a new, cost-effective cathode with the potential to significantly enhance lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), potentially revolutionizing the electric vehicle (EV) market and large-scale energy storage systems. “For a long time, people have been looking for a lower-cost, more sustainable alternative to existing cathode materials. I think we’ve got one,” said Chen, an associate professor with appointments in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical...

It's a fire hazard. Gov. Ron DeSantis urged owners of electric vehicles in Florida on Wednesday to drive them to higher ground to avoid them being exposed to seawater as part of Hurricane Helene. DeSantis said such vehicles can catch fire when seawater from storm surges inundates the battery packs, and those fires can be difficult for firefighters to extinguish. “Just know that when you have saltwater intrusion in that, they can catch fire,” DeSantis said. He said there were instances during Hurricane Ian when a home survived the Category 5 hurricane, but the vehicle parked in the garage caught...

Would you be impressed by a car that gets 93 mpg? If the answer is yes, then you’re going to be impressed by the current Toyota Prius. While the current Prius may be EPA-rated for a “lowly” 57 mpg, it just completed a cross-country drive, from Los Angeles’ City Hall to New York’s City Hall, while averaging 93.1 MPG. That’s a 3,200-mile trip, so unlike a lot of fuel efficiency tests that take place over a few dozen or a few hundred miles, this one took place between two of America’s biggest cites, one on each coast . And yes,...

The battery hit temperatures of 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit while it was on fire. California firefighters used about 50,000 gallons of water to put out a Tesla Semi fire after a collision, the National Transportation Safety Board said on Thursday. According to the Associated Press, an aircraft also dropped fire retardant on the “immediate area” to bring the fire under control, the agency reported. The battery hit temperatures of 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit while it was on fire. The truck hit a tree while going around a curve on Aug. 19. Tesla's autopilot feature was not engaged, according to the agency report....

Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign now claims she “does not support” Electric Vehicle (EV) mandates after years of supporting such mandates as a Senator and in her role in President Joe Biden’s administration. According to The Spectator‘s Amber Duke, Harris’s campaign sent an email to supporters on Tuesday claiming “Vice President Harris does not support an electric vehicle mandate.” The statement comes after years of Harris campaigning, championing, and supporting EV mandates that require automakers to produce and sell a certain percentage of EVs to American consumers.