This week, the US DOT and EPA held three days of hearings to gather public comments on the Trump administration’s proposal to reverse existing federal fuel efficiency and emissions standards. At the hearings in Fresno, Dearborn, and Pittsburgh, hundreds of people, including physicians and health advocates, former EPA officials and technology entrepreneurs, environmental advocates and… Read more »
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US administration proposes to weaken vehicle air pollution standards
As expected, the US administration released a proposal that would freeze rules requiring automakers to build cleaner, more fuel-efficient cars, and that would also challenge the right of states to set their own, more stringent pollution standards. The new proposal, jointly published by the EPA and the Transportation Department, would revoke the existing federal standard,… Read more »
Colorado moves to join 13 Advanced Clean Car states, automakers howl in protest
As the EPA proceeds to weaken federal emissions standards, Colorado has become the latest state to implement the LEV regulations included in California’s Advanced Clean Car Standards. Alphabet soup department: The California Air Resources Board (ARB [and sometimes CARB]) adopted the Advanced Clean Cars (ACC) program in 2012. The components of the ACC program are:… Read more »
ARPA-E to award $30 million to develop grid energy storage technologies
The DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) is wasting no time after its recent near-death experience (the president’s proposed budget would have eliminated the agency, but cooler heads in Congress prevailed): it has announced up to $30 million in funding for a new program called Duration Addition to electricitY Storage (DAYS), which has a goal… Read more »
As US DOE abandons EV technology reporting, NRDC fills the gap
As regular Charged readers know, the US Department of Energy (DOE) provides funding for a variety of basic research programs that benefit the EV and renewable energy industries. The current administration in Washington has made no secret of its desire to end government support for these industries – its recent proposed budget would have eliminated… Read more »
A redesigned Nissan LEAF arrives in 2018, joining the new generation of plug-ins
When some future author writes a book about the most influential cars in automotive history, the Nissan LEAF will be right up there with the Model T, the VW Beetle and the Tesla Model S. The LEAF was the first EV aimed at the mass market, and as of this writing, it remains the best-selling… Read more »
Automakers’ fight against fuel efficiency is nothing new
As the world’s transportation system begins to make the transition to electric power, automakers (except for one) are being dragged into the future kicking and screaming by governments. To anyone familiar with the companies’ history, this should come as no surprise. A new article from the Union of Concerned Scientists recounts the industry’s long history… Read more »
Former EPA official: US automakers’ EV strategies are irrational
These days, not a week goes by without an announcement of some major electrification initiative from a major carmaker: Nissan’s new LEAF is coming to the US soon, GM is actually advertising its Bolt EV, VW and Daimler have each announced a range of new EVs (for China, at least), and Volvo and Jaguar have… Read more »
What’s going to happen with US emissions regulations?
Q&A with emissions standards expert Michael Steel of the law firm Morrison & Foerster For better or for worse, the proliferation of plug-in vehicles that has occurred over the past few years is largely the result of government regulation. Automakers are producing some excellent EVs, but (except for a certain California carmaker) to put it… Read more »
Mercedes to invest $1 billion to build electric SUVs, batteries in Alabama
Daimler has announced that it will invest up to $1 billion to build electric SUVs and batteries at its assembly plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The company said it will build a new battery plant near the site in 2018, and that production of a Mercedes-Benz EQ electric SUV will begin “early next decade.” More than… Read more »