Free Republic

The three largest American automakers, Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis, are, according to a recent New York Times report, planning a coordinated lobbying push to convince President-elect Donald Trump to maintain a suite of climate rules forcing electric vehicle purchases. The Thursday report—titled "Automakers to Trump: Please Require Us to Sell Electric Vehicles"—cites unnamed "lobbyists and officials from several car companies" who say manufacturers want Trump to keep the Biden administration's tailpipe emissions regulations, fuel economy standards, and generous tax credits for electric vehicle purchases. But at least one of the referenced automakers, the multinational automaker Stellantis, is pushing back...

KEY POINTS * A rebrand unveiled by classic British car brand Jaguar drew the ire of many on social media this week, as the company prepares to relaunch in 2026 with only electric models. * Jaguar, part of Tata Motors subsidiary Jaguar Land Rover, said the redesigns “preserved iconic symbols while taking a dramatic leap forward.” * Gary Jenkins, managing director of content agency No Brainer, said that if the automaker’s intention was to garner as much attention as possible, “they’ve certainly succeeded.”

...The RV industry saw it coming. Since 2020 it’s been working with CARB (the California Air Resources Board—creator of ACT) on how these regulations would affect the industry and RVers. Industry had hoped CARB would work in an exemption for recreational vehicles. That didn’t happen. The situation is further complicated by more than just the ACT regulation. It also involves a trio of regulations passed in the last two to three years: the ACT, the Omnibus Low NOx rule, and the Advanced Clean Fleets rule. Together, these regulations are designed to transition medium- and heavy-duty vehicles to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs)...

Three days ago, word of an alleged whistleblower from ABC News emerged following the Trump-Harris debate who claimed, among other things, that Harris was given questions in advanced. While unverified – and should therefore be taken with a grain of salt for now, the whistleblower also claims there are three topics that were off-limits. President Biden’s health. Kamala’s tenure as Attorney General and District Attorney “her brother-in-law, Tony West, who faces allegations of embezzling billions of dollars in taxpayer funds and who may be involved in her administration if elections.” To that end, Edward R. Szall via Died Suddenly News...

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...

(The Center Square) – Medicare premiums and senior citizens' prescription drug costs have surged since passage of the $891 billion Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, according to data compiled by an advocate for seniors on the federal health care program. The legislation promised financial relief for millions of people with Medicare by expanding benefits, lowering drug costs, and strengthening Medicare for future seniors. Medicare Is for Seniors' "Misery Index," as the report is known, says prescription drug costs instead have risen nationally by 31%, leaving seniors with new expenses and fewer options. Those costs will rise again under the new...

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General Motors CEO Mary Barra said there are so many companies trying to sell EVs in China right now that it's driving a price war that isn't sustainable. Barra made the comments at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference in San Francisco on Tuesday, responding to a question about the explosion of EV sales in China. More than 120 brands sold EVs in China in 2023 compared to around 60 in the US — putting into perspective just how much competition there is for GM and other manufacturers. The EV market in the country is oversaturated, Barra said Tuesday, echoing comments she's...

General Motors CEO Mary Barra is still committing to taking the automaker fully electric by 2035, even as third-quarter earnings show Electric Vehicles (EVs) are still not profitable. “That is the plan we’re still executing,” Barra told the New York Times of GM’s plans to fully transition to EVs by 2035 regardless of who is in the White House. Barra first made the commitment in 2021 after President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took office. The commitment, though, has not made EVs any more profitable.

A coalition of 24 states, led by Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers, have signed a brief against a federal electric truck mandate. On March 29, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rolled out a new electric truck mandate to increase sales of electric semitrucks from 2027 through 2032. EPA will require electric models to account for 60% of new urban delivery trucks and 25% of long-haul tractor sales by 2032. The cost of electric trucks are typically two to three times more expensive than diesel trucks, according to the Institute for Energy Research. Truckers will also have to invest $620 billion...

Company documents indicate BYD Americas president Ke Li is a Chinese national with 'right of abode' in US.. Vice President Kamala Harris's billion-dollar Clean School Bus program provided funding to Chinese EV manufacturer BYD Company's subsidiary in the United States, according to federal filings reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon. Months later, the subsidiary's top executive, a Chinese national, wired $50,000 in support of what is now Harris's presidential campaign. BYD Americas was selected in late 2022 to receive $395,000 under the administration's Clean School Bus program, which was spearheaded by Harris and EPA administrator Michael Regan, EPA documents show....

After Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida on Wednesday, Sunshine State residents who own electric vehicles have been urged to be cautious. Ahead of Milton, one county that was in the hurricane’s path, Hillsborough County, said Monday EV owners in flood zones “should move their vehicles away from flood areas and storm surge” and noted storm surge and flooding can “pose a potential risk to lithium-ion batteries and could lead to fires.” It shared a county webpage about electric vehicle hurricane safety. EVs left behind during hurricanes should not be plugged into charging stations or parked in garages because of...

One of America's LARGEST gas station chains is gearing up to close over 1,000 locations nationwide between 2024 and 2025. Yes, you read that right—over 1,000! But don’t worry, they’re not just pulling the plug and leaving us high and dry. This move is part of a massive shift as the company pivots toward the future of transportation. Who’s behind this gas station shakeup? WHO’S CLOSING SHOP? Shell, the oil and gas giant we all know, is planning to close a significant number of its gas stations, with California, Utah, and Nevada set to feel the impact. California alone has...

Electric cars are up to twice as expensive as petrol or diesel vehicles to run... Running an electric vehicle (EV) can cost more than 24p per mile, while a diesel vehicle is 12.5p .. 80p per kilowatt hour ... A typical electric car will travel 3.3 miles for every kWh of electricity used, meaning rapid and ultra-rapid chargers currently cost the equivalent of 24.1p per mile. ... This is about double the average diesel car, which will do 43 miles per gallon, resulting in a cost of 12.5p per mile at current prices. A typical petrol car costs 14.5p per...

Ok just posting this one time, these are now being shipped (in Vietnam) — VinFast (VFS) announced it has officially begun shipping its new mini electric SUV, the VinFast VF 3. Starting under $13,000, the new VF 3 generated strong buzz, with VinFast calling it a “social media phenomenon” ahead of shipments. After introducing the VF 3 in January, VinFast said the new mini electric SUV is designed to make city travel “not only sustainable but also more accessible.” Four months later, VinFast opened pre-orders with a special introductory price of 235 million VND, or about $9,248. That’s for the...

In Norway, electric vehicles (EVs) now outnumber gas-powered vehicles, according to latest vehicle registration data from the Norwegian Road Federation released on Tuesday. Norway, a major oil exporter globally, now has 754,303 registered EVs, slightly more than 753,905 of gas vehicles. The Scandinavian country has 2.8 million registered passenger cars, including diesel vehicles. The director of the Norwegian Road Federation, known as OFV, Oyvind Solberg Thorsen, called the milestone “historic” and said the ongoing electrification of cars is at a “high pace” and the country is closer to becoming the first in the world to have the majority of cars...

In yet another setback for the Biden-Harris regime’s push for electric vehicles, American consumers are showing a distinct lack of enthusiasm for purchasing new EVs. The latest Mobility Consumer Index (MCI) from consulting firm EY reveals a shocking drop in interest, with only 34% of US consumers planning to buy an electrified vehicle—down from 48% in 2023. This decline raises serious questions about the administration’s ability to force their “Electric Revolution” onto consumers. Now, after seemingly rushing to promote electric vehicles as the future of transportation, the reality is hitting hard: fully electric vehicle interest has plummeted to a mere...

Kamala Harris's campaign recently walked back Harris's position on EV mandates, stating she "does not support an electric vehicle mandate." But the campaign is now shying away from questions about whether Harris would sign or veto legislation she personally cosponsored in the Senate that would implement a nationwide EV mandate. The campaign on Wednesday ignored several questions from the Washington Free Beacon asking for it to clarify Harris's position on EV mandates. That came one day after a Harris campaign official declined to comment late Tuesday to Axios on whether she would even sign the so-called Zero-Emission Vehicles Act that...

Germany’s leading car parts supplier ZF has recently been forced to cut one-fifth to one-quarter of its workforce, owing in part to Chinese competition and in part to “weak demand for electric vehicles.” Other firms like Bosch, Continental, and Webasto have also been forced to “restructure.” Yet the CEOs of these companies continue absurdly to believe in the future of “electromobility,” since the European Union plans to outlaw fossil fuel-powered vehicles as of 2035. The short-sightedness of EU bureaucrats will lead inevitably to market implosion and an economic collapse, and the car-makers have no option, it seems, but to comply...

A major solar company has just filed for bankruptcy as its business model is no longer viable in America’s current climate. SunPower announced that it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Monday. SunPower filed for bankruptcy in Delaware after a string of corporate struggles... changes to California’s rooftop solar subsidy programs and high interest rates in Democrat President Joe Biden’s economy have weighed down its business. Before it collapsed, SunPower was among America’s leading solar companies. SunPower will look to sell some of its assets to rival solar company Complete Solaria. Meanwhile, the company and some of its other subsidiaries...