Steven Smith
CCCUK Member
How it should be.
Are we still convinced that electric vehicles are the best way forward?
- Thread starter Roscobbc
- Start date
teamzr1
Supporting vendor
I hope the sharholders of GM stock wise up and force Barra out of GM, guess they are not happy so many GM ICE vehicles were wacked
Bet she knew what was going to happen when about 2 months ago she dumped a lot of her GM stock and pocketed $85 million bucks
Also, she fired two long term Team Corvette guys and rumor they wanted Corvette to stay ICE for the C9s
States trying to build a network of EV chargers are reeling after the Trump administration abruptly ordered a halt to a $5 billion program to build the chargers on highways nationwide.
In a memo released Thursday, the Federal Highway Administration ordered states to halt the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program, which President Donald Trump cited as an example of the “Green New Deal.” So far, states are now split, with some putting their program on pause and at least one planning to continue to fulfill existing contracts.
The letter informs state transportation directors who are in charge of administering the program that any plans approved by the Biden administration are now suspended until the Transportation Department provides new guidelines in the spring.
“Effective immediately, no new obligations may occur under the NEVI Formula Program,” the letter reads.
The order, which comes as many states are still working to build out their public chargers supported by $5 billion in grants, could strike a major blow to an industry that has experienced slower-than-expected sales and could lose critical federal tax incentives in coming months.
On Wednesday, Ford Motor Co. projected it could lose as much as $5.5 billion this year on its EV and software business.
Just 55 charging stations have been built so far in 4 years, and half of those do not work, according to data from the analytics firm Paren.
Michigan is pausing second-round submissions of the NEVI program, said Jocelyn Garza, a spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Transportation. "We are working with our federal advisors to determine what impacts may exist for the funding obligated through the first round of NEVI submissions," she said.
Vermont Agency of Transportation officials said Friday that they will suspend their program, having built only one charging station withjust four chargers funded by NEVI for about $700,000. The state had already awarded 11 projects for an additional 60 charging ports, but those will all go on hold, said Patrick Murphy, the agency’s state policy director. More than $20 million in NEVI funding promised to the state is now at risk, he said.
“The public really feel they need to have better charging infrastructure before they take the step in making an electric vehicle purchase or lease,” Murphy said. “This has nothing to do with promoting true consumer choice. This will actively limit choice.”
Pennsylvania, meanwhile, has yet to change course on its EV charger rollout. A person with knowledge of Pennsylvania’s state-level program, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said there had been no communications with the federal government and that they planned to keep delivering charging projects that had already been awarded until told otherwise.
But the state would not offer new solicitations for building further stations, this person added.
“I don’t believe FHWA has the authority to do this,” said Loren McDonald, Paren’s chief analyst and an expert on the charging program, in an email.
The memo was first reported by InsideEVs.
The program, which Congress approved under the bipartisan infrastructure law, was intended to help fill gaps in the nation’s EV charging network and boost consumer confidence to buy electric vehicles.
The law also provided another $2.5 billion for chargers in communities and neighborhoods.
States had to submit plans to the Transportation Department on how they would use the funds; once their plans were approved, they could begin building out stations. To date, approximately another $3.3 billion has been allocated to states, according to Paren.
But the new memo puts that funding in jeopardy. Even states that have approved plans do not have the money in hand as part of the program, they send invoices to the federal government after meeting key milestones.
“The states don’t get the money that’s been obligated to them until they submit an invoice to FHWA,” McDonald said.
According to the memo, states will continue to receive “reimbursement of existing obligations.” Experts said that indicates states that already have a contract with a charging company will be able to fulfill it but any unfinished contracts will probably be on hold.
Trump has long railed against what he calls an EV “mandate,” and he criticized the Biden administration’s attempts to create programs to boost electric vehicle sales. In an executive order on the first day of his presidency,
Trump ordered the federal government to terminate “the Green New Deal,” “including but not limited to funds for electric vehicle charging stations.” Charging station grants were the only specific clean energy program mentioned in the executive order.
The president has continued to target electric vehicles, even while he maintains a close alliance with Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla. Tesla has been a key recipient of charging grants, and it has the largest fast-charger network in the country.
But Musk has previously said that cuts to EV benefits, such as the $7,500 EV tax credit, will be more painful for the company’s rival automakers than Tesla, even if his company might suffer in the short term.
Some states, including Rhode Island, Missouri, Alabama and Oklahoma, had already publicly confirmed that they were pausing their EV charger programs before the memo was released.
Barbara LaBoe, the deputy communications director for the Washington State Department of Transportation, said the new order affects most of the $102 million the state had been promised for EV chargers.
“We are still seeking more information about all specifics of this suspension,” she said in an email.
The state has no outstanding invoices with the federal government, she added. “Due to the uncertainty of funding, we held off on making any decisions regarding project awards at this time,” she said.
Ryan Gallentine, managing director at the national business association Advanced Energy United, said that states “are under no obligation to stop these projects based solely on this announcement.”
“We call on state DOTs and program administrators to continue executing this program until new guidance is finalized,” Gallentine added.
Fewer chargers may affect consumer appetite to buy electric vehicles in the long term, said Gil Tal, director of the Electric Vehicle Research Center at the University of California at Davis.
But the Trump administration has already dealt a more immediate blow to the EV market, he added, by moving to roll back rules on car emissions that would have effectively required auto companies to make more electric cars.
Some said they believe that the Trump administration’s move may provoke legal action. “I’m assuming the lawsuits from states will start soon, and this will go to court and Congress,” McDonald said.
“But the Trump administration will succeed in just causing havoc and slowing things down for a while.”
Bet she knew what was going to happen when about 2 months ago she dumped a lot of her GM stock and pocketed $85 million bucks
Also, she fired two long term Team Corvette guys and rumor they wanted Corvette to stay ICE for the C9s
States trying to build a network of EV chargers are reeling after the Trump administration abruptly ordered a halt to a $5 billion program to build the chargers on highways nationwide.
In a memo released Thursday, the Federal Highway Administration ordered states to halt the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program, which President Donald Trump cited as an example of the “Green New Deal.” So far, states are now split, with some putting their program on pause and at least one planning to continue to fulfill existing contracts.
The letter informs state transportation directors who are in charge of administering the program that any plans approved by the Biden administration are now suspended until the Transportation Department provides new guidelines in the spring.
“Effective immediately, no new obligations may occur under the NEVI Formula Program,” the letter reads.
The order, which comes as many states are still working to build out their public chargers supported by $5 billion in grants, could strike a major blow to an industry that has experienced slower-than-expected sales and could lose critical federal tax incentives in coming months.
On Wednesday, Ford Motor Co. projected it could lose as much as $5.5 billion this year on its EV and software business.
Just 55 charging stations have been built so far in 4 years, and half of those do not work, according to data from the analytics firm Paren.
Michigan is pausing second-round submissions of the NEVI program, said Jocelyn Garza, a spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Transportation. "We are working with our federal advisors to determine what impacts may exist for the funding obligated through the first round of NEVI submissions," she said.
Vermont Agency of Transportation officials said Friday that they will suspend their program, having built only one charging station withjust four chargers funded by NEVI for about $700,000. The state had already awarded 11 projects for an additional 60 charging ports, but those will all go on hold, said Patrick Murphy, the agency’s state policy director. More than $20 million in NEVI funding promised to the state is now at risk, he said.
“The public really feel they need to have better charging infrastructure before they take the step in making an electric vehicle purchase or lease,” Murphy said. “This has nothing to do with promoting true consumer choice. This will actively limit choice.”
Pennsylvania, meanwhile, has yet to change course on its EV charger rollout. A person with knowledge of Pennsylvania’s state-level program, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said there had been no communications with the federal government and that they planned to keep delivering charging projects that had already been awarded until told otherwise.
But the state would not offer new solicitations for building further stations, this person added.
“I don’t believe FHWA has the authority to do this,” said Loren McDonald, Paren’s chief analyst and an expert on the charging program, in an email.
The memo was first reported by InsideEVs.
The program, which Congress approved under the bipartisan infrastructure law, was intended to help fill gaps in the nation’s EV charging network and boost consumer confidence to buy electric vehicles.
The law also provided another $2.5 billion for chargers in communities and neighborhoods.
States had to submit plans to the Transportation Department on how they would use the funds; once their plans were approved, they could begin building out stations. To date, approximately another $3.3 billion has been allocated to states, according to Paren.
But the new memo puts that funding in jeopardy. Even states that have approved plans do not have the money in hand as part of the program, they send invoices to the federal government after meeting key milestones.
“The states don’t get the money that’s been obligated to them until they submit an invoice to FHWA,” McDonald said.
According to the memo, states will continue to receive “reimbursement of existing obligations.” Experts said that indicates states that already have a contract with a charging company will be able to fulfill it but any unfinished contracts will probably be on hold.
Trump has long railed against what he calls an EV “mandate,” and he criticized the Biden administration’s attempts to create programs to boost electric vehicle sales. In an executive order on the first day of his presidency,
Trump ordered the federal government to terminate “the Green New Deal,” “including but not limited to funds for electric vehicle charging stations.” Charging station grants were the only specific clean energy program mentioned in the executive order.
The president has continued to target electric vehicles, even while he maintains a close alliance with Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla. Tesla has been a key recipient of charging grants, and it has the largest fast-charger network in the country.
But Musk has previously said that cuts to EV benefits, such as the $7,500 EV tax credit, will be more painful for the company’s rival automakers than Tesla, even if his company might suffer in the short term.
Some states, including Rhode Island, Missouri, Alabama and Oklahoma, had already publicly confirmed that they were pausing their EV charger programs before the memo was released.
Barbara LaBoe, the deputy communications director for the Washington State Department of Transportation, said the new order affects most of the $102 million the state had been promised for EV chargers.
“We are still seeking more information about all specifics of this suspension,” she said in an email.
The state has no outstanding invoices with the federal government, she added. “Due to the uncertainty of funding, we held off on making any decisions regarding project awards at this time,” she said.
Ryan Gallentine, managing director at the national business association Advanced Energy United, said that states “are under no obligation to stop these projects based solely on this announcement.”
“We call on state DOTs and program administrators to continue executing this program until new guidance is finalized,” Gallentine added.
Fewer chargers may affect consumer appetite to buy electric vehicles in the long term, said Gil Tal, director of the Electric Vehicle Research Center at the University of California at Davis.
But the Trump administration has already dealt a more immediate blow to the EV market, he added, by moving to roll back rules on car emissions that would have effectively required auto companies to make more electric cars.
Some said they believe that the Trump administration’s move may provoke legal action. “I’m assuming the lawsuits from states will start soon, and this will go to court and Congress,” McDonald said.
“But the Trump administration will succeed in just causing havoc and slowing things down for a while.”
teamzr1
Supporting vendor
Porsche AG is falling further off track from lofty targets set during its splashy stock listing two years ago, with costs mounting from executives having misjudged how sports-car buyers not wanting to go electric.
The 911 maker’s profit margin will slump to as low as 10% this year, half the 20% level management floated before an initial public offering that raised around €9.4 billion ($9.8 billion). The stock dropped Friday to a new low since the IPO, plunging as much as 8%.
The “sharp deterioration” in outlook is a “major concern,” Bernstein analyst Stephen Reitman said in a note. He urged Porsche executives to convene a call with investors “to further explain and reassure an inevitably febrile market.”
At around €50 billion, Porsche’s market value is now less than half what it was in May 2023. The steep decline heaps more pressure on Chief Executive Officer Oliver Blume, who runs both Porsche and Volkswagen AG. Porsche indicated this past weekend that the supervisory board likely will oust both its chief financial officer and sales chief.
Porsche was among the major automakers wanting to pull back from transitioning to electric vehicles last year, citing underwhelming demand. Challenges with making the jump to EVs have cost the company dearly in China, where deliveries dropped 28% last year.
Porsche said late Thursday that it will take an €800 million ($831 million) hit this year tied to expanding its product portfolio with more combustion engine and plug-in hybrid models.
While the company’s all-electric Taycan got off to a fast start following its 2020 debut, sales stumbled last year, and a new EV version of the Macan sport utility vehicle has underwhelmed.
Return on sales for 2024 is expected to end up at the lower end of its forecast range, or around 14%. This projection was already lowered back in July, with executives blaming supply chain snags.
“Porsche is a luxury brand OEM and is not generating profitability in line with that,” Citigroup Inc. analyst Harald Hendrikse said in a note. “The €800 million hit doesn’t fully account for Porsche’s shortfall, suggesting some execution gaps.”
In a knock-on effect of Porsche’s disappointing outlook, the holding company majority owned by the billionaire Porsche-Piëch family said late Thursday that it now expects to book an even bigger impairment on the carrying value of its investment in the carmaker.
Porsche Automobil Holding SE said the impairment could be in the €2.5 billion to €3.5 billion range. Back in December, the holding company was bracing for a €1 billion to €2 billion setback.
In addition to expenses tied to rolling out more gasoline and hybrid models, Porsche blamed the lower forecast for this year on efforts to bolster its car-customization offerings and increasing investments in battery subsidiaries.
The 911 maker’s profit margin will slump to as low as 10% this year, half the 20% level management floated before an initial public offering that raised around €9.4 billion ($9.8 billion). The stock dropped Friday to a new low since the IPO, plunging as much as 8%.
The “sharp deterioration” in outlook is a “major concern,” Bernstein analyst Stephen Reitman said in a note. He urged Porsche executives to convene a call with investors “to further explain and reassure an inevitably febrile market.”
At around €50 billion, Porsche’s market value is now less than half what it was in May 2023. The steep decline heaps more pressure on Chief Executive Officer Oliver Blume, who runs both Porsche and Volkswagen AG. Porsche indicated this past weekend that the supervisory board likely will oust both its chief financial officer and sales chief.
Porsche was among the major automakers wanting to pull back from transitioning to electric vehicles last year, citing underwhelming demand. Challenges with making the jump to EVs have cost the company dearly in China, where deliveries dropped 28% last year.
Porsche said late Thursday that it will take an €800 million ($831 million) hit this year tied to expanding its product portfolio with more combustion engine and plug-in hybrid models.
While the company’s all-electric Taycan got off to a fast start following its 2020 debut, sales stumbled last year, and a new EV version of the Macan sport utility vehicle has underwhelmed.
Return on sales for 2024 is expected to end up at the lower end of its forecast range, or around 14%. This projection was already lowered back in July, with executives blaming supply chain snags.
“Porsche is a luxury brand OEM and is not generating profitability in line with that,” Citigroup Inc. analyst Harald Hendrikse said in a note. “The €800 million hit doesn’t fully account for Porsche’s shortfall, suggesting some execution gaps.”
In a knock-on effect of Porsche’s disappointing outlook, the holding company majority owned by the billionaire Porsche-Piëch family said late Thursday that it now expects to book an even bigger impairment on the carrying value of its investment in the carmaker.
Porsche Automobil Holding SE said the impairment could be in the €2.5 billion to €3.5 billion range. Back in December, the holding company was bracing for a €1 billion to €2 billion setback.
In addition to expenses tied to rolling out more gasoline and hybrid models, Porsche blamed the lower forecast for this year on efforts to bolster its car-customization offerings and increasing investments in battery subsidiaries.
teamzr1
Supporting vendor
Porsche AG will trim its workforce by 1,900 employees by the end of 2028 in response to weak electric vehicle demand and “challenging geopolitical and economic conditions.”
The Volkswagen AG-controlled luxury brand plans to reduce headcount at two German sites through voluntary measures like early retirement and severance packages, and will take a “restrictive approach” to new hires, it said Thursday. The goal is to reduce staffing in Zuffenhausen and Weissach by 15% by 2029.
Porsche is grappling with a drop in EV demand, and was among the major automakers to walk back its EV targets last year. Challenges with making the jump to electric cars have cost the 911 maker dearly in China, where deliveries have slumped, piling on pressure to cut costs. The company will take an €800 million ($831 million) hit this year tied to developing products, with more combustion engine and plug-in hybrid models.
The Volkswagen AG-controlled luxury brand plans to reduce headcount at two German sites through voluntary measures like early retirement and severance packages, and will take a “restrictive approach” to new hires, it said Thursday. The goal is to reduce staffing in Zuffenhausen and Weissach by 15% by 2029.
Porsche is grappling with a drop in EV demand, and was among the major automakers to walk back its EV targets last year. Challenges with making the jump to electric cars have cost the 911 maker dearly in China, where deliveries have slumped, piling on pressure to cut costs. The company will take an €800 million ($831 million) hit this year tied to developing products, with more combustion engine and plug-in hybrid models.
Mad4slalom
Well-known user
The one who grinds my gears more than anyone is that clown milliband
Chuffer
CCCUK Member
He always reminds me of a cast off from Wallace & Grommit !!!The one who grinds my gears more than anyone is that clown milliband
teamzr1
Supporting vendor
Germany's auto parts giant Continental AG is cutting around 3,000 research and development jobs in its automotive division, a move that comes as the company prepares to spin off the struggling business amid broader turmoil for the auto industry stemming from overly aggressive investment in electric vehicles.
The job reductions equivalent to about 10 percent of Continental’s R&D workforce will take place by the end of 2026, with fewer than half of the cuts occurring in Germany, the company announced Tuesday.
Rather than direct layoffs, Continental says it will rely on attrition and internal hiring to achieve the cuts.
At the heart of the shake-up is Continental’s automotive segment, which produces braking systems, automated driving technologies, and other key vehicle components. This division accounts for about half of the company’s total revenue but has been under intense financial pressure, forcing the manufacturer to make drastic cost-cutting measures.
While Continental has not explicitly linked the R&D cuts to electric vehicle (EV) market struggles, the timing raises serious questions.
European automakers heavily invested in EVs under regulatory pressure from Brussels and Berlin, only to face slowing demand, weaker-than-expected sales, and tightening consumer budgets.
Volkswagen AG one of the biggest backers of the EV transition has already slashed 35,000 jobs as part of its cost-cutting strategy, while Porsche plans to cut 1,900 workers.
Other German auto suppliers, including Schaeffler AG, ZF Friedrichshafen, and Bosch, have also announced mass layoffs in recent months.
One of the major drivers of this downturn has been rising costs and flagging demand for EVs.
Despite years of subsidies and regulatory mandates, European consumers have not embraced electric cars as quickly as policymakers expected, leading to production cuts, excess inventories, and financial strain on suppliers like Continental.
Continental’s announcement adds to mounting evidence that the shift to electric vehicles has been far from smooth. Even with heavy subsidies, automakers and their suppliers are struggling to make EV production financially viable, forcing painful cutbacks across the industry.
The job reductions equivalent to about 10 percent of Continental’s R&D workforce will take place by the end of 2026, with fewer than half of the cuts occurring in Germany, the company announced Tuesday.
Rather than direct layoffs, Continental says it will rely on attrition and internal hiring to achieve the cuts.
At the heart of the shake-up is Continental’s automotive segment, which produces braking systems, automated driving technologies, and other key vehicle components. This division accounts for about half of the company’s total revenue but has been under intense financial pressure, forcing the manufacturer to make drastic cost-cutting measures.
While Continental has not explicitly linked the R&D cuts to electric vehicle (EV) market struggles, the timing raises serious questions.
European automakers heavily invested in EVs under regulatory pressure from Brussels and Berlin, only to face slowing demand, weaker-than-expected sales, and tightening consumer budgets.
Volkswagen AG one of the biggest backers of the EV transition has already slashed 35,000 jobs as part of its cost-cutting strategy, while Porsche plans to cut 1,900 workers.
Other German auto suppliers, including Schaeffler AG, ZF Friedrichshafen, and Bosch, have also announced mass layoffs in recent months.
One of the major drivers of this downturn has been rising costs and flagging demand for EVs.
Despite years of subsidies and regulatory mandates, European consumers have not embraced electric cars as quickly as policymakers expected, leading to production cuts, excess inventories, and financial strain on suppliers like Continental.
Continental’s announcement adds to mounting evidence that the shift to electric vehicles has been far from smooth. Even with heavy subsidies, automakers and their suppliers are struggling to make EV production financially viable, forcing painful cutbacks across the industry.
Rich Steel
CCCUK Member
Great analysis of the situation this side of the pond on Harry's Garage...
teamzr1
Supporting vendor
Nikola Corp. filed for bankruptcy, culminating a long slide for the onetime darling of the electric-vehicle industry, which struggled with weak sales and cycled through CEOs in the wake of a fraud scandal.
The company entered Chapter 11 in Delaware on Wednesday, according to court documents. It listed assets between $500 million and $1 billion and liabilities between $1 billion and $10 billion in its petition.
The filing follows a Bloomberg report from Jan. 23 that Nikola was exploring options to stave off its cash crunch, including selling part or all of its business, bringing in partners or raising new funds. The Wall Street Journal also reported on Feb. 6 the company was exploring a possible bankruptcy.
The maker of electric big rigs has endured heavy scrutiny from its first days as a public company in mid-2020, when Bloomberg News reported that founder Trevor Milton had overstated the ability of Nikola’s debut truck. Those allegations, coupled with a subsequent short-seller campaign targeting the company, led to Milton’s ouster and later conviction on fraud charges.
In recent years, the company has endured cash-flow issues, slow demand, executive turnover and a collapsing stock price.
Nikola also recalled its battery-electric trucks after battery fires in 2023 prompted it to temporarily halt sales.
Nikola is the latest manufacturer to succumb to a punishing environment for EVs, which are struggling to maintain traction due to high costs, spotty charging infrastructure and lukewarm customer interest.
Fisker Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June, while Canoo Inc. announced a Chapter 7 filing Jan. 17 both companies, like Nikola, went public via blank-check reverse mergers during a wave of such listings in 2020.
The Swedish battery maker Northvolt AB filed for bankruptcy protection in the US in November.
The company’s market value peaked at $29 billion in the days after it began trading, but it fell to less than $100 million before the filing.
The company entered Chapter 11 in Delaware on Wednesday, according to court documents. It listed assets between $500 million and $1 billion and liabilities between $1 billion and $10 billion in its petition.
The filing follows a Bloomberg report from Jan. 23 that Nikola was exploring options to stave off its cash crunch, including selling part or all of its business, bringing in partners or raising new funds. The Wall Street Journal also reported on Feb. 6 the company was exploring a possible bankruptcy.
The maker of electric big rigs has endured heavy scrutiny from its first days as a public company in mid-2020, when Bloomberg News reported that founder Trevor Milton had overstated the ability of Nikola’s debut truck. Those allegations, coupled with a subsequent short-seller campaign targeting the company, led to Milton’s ouster and later conviction on fraud charges.
In recent years, the company has endured cash-flow issues, slow demand, executive turnover and a collapsing stock price.
Nikola also recalled its battery-electric trucks after battery fires in 2023 prompted it to temporarily halt sales.
Nikola is the latest manufacturer to succumb to a punishing environment for EVs, which are struggling to maintain traction due to high costs, spotty charging infrastructure and lukewarm customer interest.
Fisker Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June, while Canoo Inc. announced a Chapter 7 filing Jan. 17 both companies, like Nikola, went public via blank-check reverse mergers during a wave of such listings in 2020.
The Swedish battery maker Northvolt AB filed for bankruptcy protection in the US in November.
The company’s market value peaked at $29 billion in the days after it began trading, but it fell to less than $100 million before the filing.
teamzr1
Supporting vendor
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) unveiled legislation that would short circuit the failed $7.5 billion electric vehicle program instituted by President Joe Biden.
Ernst proposed the Unplug the Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Programs Act to end Biden’s failed electric vehicle charging program from the so-called infrastructure bill, formerly known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
The program, despite its lofty goal of creating a network of charging stations across the nation,
only built 59 stations in three years despite $7.5 billion in funding.
“Joe Biden’s green dreams short-circuited, and it is time to pull the plug,” Ernst said in a statement to Breitbart News.
“The EV charger boondoggle is a textbook example of waste and inefficiency that needs to be eliminated. Instead of spending hundreds of millions per charging station, I am doing something truly revolutionary in Washington, putting taxpayers first.”
Ernst, as the Senate DOGE [Department of Government Efficiency] chair, unveiled a $2 trillion plan, which includes the bill to scrap the funding for electric vehicles, to slash federal spending and reduce the size of the federal government.
The Trump administration in early February had halted the program.
“The new leadership of the Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) has decided to review the policies underlying the implementation of the NEVI Formula Program. Accordingly, the current NEVI Formula Program Guidance dated June 11, 2024, and all prior versions of this guidance are rescinded,” Emily Biondi, the associate administrator for the Office of Planning, Environment, and Realty, in a letter to the state Department of Transportation directors said.
Ernst proposed the Unplug the Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Programs Act to end Biden’s failed electric vehicle charging program from the so-called infrastructure bill, formerly known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
The program, despite its lofty goal of creating a network of charging stations across the nation,
only built 59 stations in three years despite $7.5 billion in funding.
“Joe Biden’s green dreams short-circuited, and it is time to pull the plug,” Ernst said in a statement to Breitbart News.
“The EV charger boondoggle is a textbook example of waste and inefficiency that needs to be eliminated. Instead of spending hundreds of millions per charging station, I am doing something truly revolutionary in Washington, putting taxpayers first.”
Ernst, as the Senate DOGE [Department of Government Efficiency] chair, unveiled a $2 trillion plan, which includes the bill to scrap the funding for electric vehicles, to slash federal spending and reduce the size of the federal government.
The Trump administration in early February had halted the program.
“The new leadership of the Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) has decided to review the policies underlying the implementation of the NEVI Formula Program. Accordingly, the current NEVI Formula Program Guidance dated June 11, 2024, and all prior versions of this guidance are rescinded,” Emily Biondi, the associate administrator for the Office of Planning, Environment, and Realty, in a letter to the state Department of Transportation directors said.
teamzr1
Supporting vendor
The EPA visited schools in Winthrop, Maine, late last month as part of an investigation into electric buses supplied to the schools through federal grants paid for by American tax dollars.
The probe comes after it was discovered that the buses built by a Canadian company have proven faulty, forcing kids to walk to and from school or the parents having to take time to drive them
Federal agents visited the Maine schools in late January while probing electric school buses built by the Quebec-based Lion Electric Company. Interim Superintendent Becky Foley explained the situation to the school board earlier this month, according to a report by the Kennebec Journal.
Foley said the EPA interviewed her and Josh Wheeler, the school district’s director of transportation, about four electric buses that have been plagued with problems ever since they arrived in Winthrop from Lion Electric in late 2023.
“I met with an EPA special agent last week to see if there was any fraud committed by Lion,” she told the school board on February 5.
“I think whatever resolution may occur will take some time, and I will keep the board posted.”
Lion Electric, headquartered in Saint-Jérôme, Canada, has recently filed for credit protection and was the first company to provide Maine with electric buses through a federal program seeking to replace gasoline-powered buses with EVs, the Journal reports.
But the Quebec-based company is no longer part of Maine’s program to provide electric buses to school districts in the state after it was discovered that the only buses that consistently experienced problems had all come from Lion Electric.
Additionally, Maine schools began reporting problems with their EV buses from day one.
In a letter sent to the EPA last month, Maine Department of Education Commissioner Pender Makin asked how she should advise the schools in her state with Lion Electric buses to proceed.
“In more than half of the school districts, including Winthrop, the buses remain inoperable,” Central Maine noted.
A former Lion Electric technician, meanwhile, told the outlet that the company’s buses are “more like a science project than a validated, road-legal vehicle.”
Notably, Lion Electric being under credit protection means it does not have the ability to ship the parts needed to fix its buses.
Meanwhile, the Canadian company reportedly owes Maine schools at least $57,000 toward bus rentals being used in place of its EVs that could not successfully operate.
“We are waiting for the technician to come up,” Foley said on Thursday. “Our buses are still under warranty, so we are waiting for the technician, but there are no technicians in Maine.”
“The tech would be the one to tell us what is wrong with the buses and what our buses need,” she added.
The probe comes after it was discovered that the buses built by a Canadian company have proven faulty, forcing kids to walk to and from school or the parents having to take time to drive them
Federal agents visited the Maine schools in late January while probing electric school buses built by the Quebec-based Lion Electric Company. Interim Superintendent Becky Foley explained the situation to the school board earlier this month, according to a report by the Kennebec Journal.
Foley said the EPA interviewed her and Josh Wheeler, the school district’s director of transportation, about four electric buses that have been plagued with problems ever since they arrived in Winthrop from Lion Electric in late 2023.
“I met with an EPA special agent last week to see if there was any fraud committed by Lion,” she told the school board on February 5.
“I think whatever resolution may occur will take some time, and I will keep the board posted.”
Lion Electric, headquartered in Saint-Jérôme, Canada, has recently filed for credit protection and was the first company to provide Maine with electric buses through a federal program seeking to replace gasoline-powered buses with EVs, the Journal reports.
But the Quebec-based company is no longer part of Maine’s program to provide electric buses to school districts in the state after it was discovered that the only buses that consistently experienced problems had all come from Lion Electric.
Additionally, Maine schools began reporting problems with their EV buses from day one.
In a letter sent to the EPA last month, Maine Department of Education Commissioner Pender Makin asked how she should advise the schools in her state with Lion Electric buses to proceed.
“In more than half of the school districts, including Winthrop, the buses remain inoperable,” Central Maine noted.
A former Lion Electric technician, meanwhile, told the outlet that the company’s buses are “more like a science project than a validated, road-legal vehicle.”
Notably, Lion Electric being under credit protection means it does not have the ability to ship the parts needed to fix its buses.
Meanwhile, the Canadian company reportedly owes Maine schools at least $57,000 toward bus rentals being used in place of its EVs that could not successfully operate.
“We are waiting for the technician to come up,” Foley said on Thursday. “Our buses are still under warranty, so we are waiting for the technician, but there are no technicians in Maine.”
“The tech would be the one to tell us what is wrong with the buses and what our buses need,” she added.
teamzr1
Supporting vendor
Aston Martin has delayed the roll-out of its first fully-electric vehicle in the latest sign that the switch from petrol and diesel to battery cars is stalling.
The British firm said its battery electric vehicle (BEV), previously set to be launched in 2026, and was now planned for the latter part of this decade
It comes as the wider industry struggles with the transition to electric amid lack of demand from motorists and tough regulations pushing carmakers to go green.
Aston Martin, said the delay was being made ‘in response to customer feedback and evolving customer dynamics’.
As a result, it will instead focus on plug-in hybrids battery-powered vehicles with a back-up petrol engine for the time being.
It is the latest delay to the electrification plans, after the company previously pushed back the launch from 2025 to 2026.
Aston Martin’s big spending customers are prepared to shell out more than £200,000 on average to get behind the wheel of the 007 cars.
But executive chairman Lawrence Stroll said last year that demand for fully-electric versions of the marque had been lower than it had expected, with many still wanting to hear the throaty roar of a powerful internal combustion engine rather than the hum of a battery.
It suggests there is still no sign of recovery after production shrank by 14 percent in 2024.
The decline at the start of this year was partly due to continued disruption caused by the switch to new electric models, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
UK carmakers are also under pressure to meet government environmental targets.
The targets mean that an increasing proportion of vehicles they sell in the UK must be electric, but some firms have struggled to comply.
The rules were blamed by the industry when Vauxhall last year announced the closure of its Luton plant, putting more than 1,000 jobs at risk.
The British firm said its battery electric vehicle (BEV), previously set to be launched in 2026, and was now planned for the latter part of this decade
It comes as the wider industry struggles with the transition to electric amid lack of demand from motorists and tough regulations pushing carmakers to go green.
Aston Martin, said the delay was being made ‘in response to customer feedback and evolving customer dynamics’.
As a result, it will instead focus on plug-in hybrids battery-powered vehicles with a back-up petrol engine for the time being.
It is the latest delay to the electrification plans, after the company previously pushed back the launch from 2025 to 2026.
Aston Martin’s big spending customers are prepared to shell out more than £200,000 on average to get behind the wheel of the 007 cars.
But executive chairman Lawrence Stroll said last year that demand for fully-electric versions of the marque had been lower than it had expected, with many still wanting to hear the throaty roar of a powerful internal combustion engine rather than the hum of a battery.
It suggests there is still no sign of recovery after production shrank by 14 percent in 2024.
The decline at the start of this year was partly due to continued disruption caused by the switch to new electric models, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
UK carmakers are also under pressure to meet government environmental targets.
The targets mean that an increasing proportion of vehicles they sell in the UK must be electric, but some firms have struggled to comply.
The rules were blamed by the industry when Vauxhall last year announced the closure of its Luton plant, putting more than 1,000 jobs at risk.
Roscobbc
Moderator
And just last night the TV news was reporting a government announcement that 'project zero' was still going to happen, with all cars being zero emission etc etc etc........TBH just like the heat pump lies that are being foisted on the population (and just like all the TV adverts) I just don't listen to the rhetoric any more, knowing it to be a total load of 'spherical objects'. In fact I wonder if many of the goverment members themselves believe the 'speil' they are putting out and expecting us to believe.
As a footnote I coul almost feel sorry for automakers being put in a position of being forced to manufacture vehicles that few 'thinking' people really want..........but I then think back to the 'dieselgate' scandal and how so many manufacturers were effectively 'legging us over' re. diesel emissions.........
As a footnote I coul almost feel sorry for automakers being put in a position of being forced to manufacture vehicles that few 'thinking' people really want..........but I then think back to the 'dieselgate' scandal and how so many manufacturers were effectively 'legging us over' re. diesel emissions.........
Chuffer
CCCUK Member
It has also been announced that some `green energy` projects will be scaled back in favour of gas and oil production . The bubble may not have burst yet but I think it`s beginning to leak a bit . Totally agree with you Ross on the hype and mis information about heat pumps for homes and of course government ministers beleive their own spiel : politians are pre programmed that way in the same way that sociopaths believe their own lies and expect `thinking` people to believe them ! Sir Queer Stammer and Donald Mump should be getting on right well today !!
Roscobbc
Moderator
Not saying that electric vehicles don't have a place........they certainly do for city operation. Also not 'dissing' heat pumps - its just that the only people really who can logically afford to install them are the people typically wealthy enough not to need to.....and able to easily pay 'elevated' fossil fuel costs without even thinking about it.
Scandanavian countries have been building seriously insulated houses for years using ground sourced heat pumps (not air sourced) - extremely expensive to install, and you need sufficient land space for bore holes...........
Scandanavian countries have been building seriously insulated houses for years using ground sourced heat pumps (not air sourced) - extremely expensive to install, and you need sufficient land space for bore holes...........
teamzr1
Supporting vendor
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc would grant carmakers a three-year window in which to hit carbon dioxide emissions targets that were originally set for this year.
The targeted amendment to give the auto sector flexibility under the 2025 emissions rules will be proposed later this month, according to von der Leyen. In effect, the changes will mean that carmakers can miss the target this year as long as they outperform in the next two.
Shares of European automakers including Volkswagen AG, Mercedes-Benz Group AG and Renault SA jumped following von der Leyen’s remarks, sending the Stoxx 600 Automobiles & Parts Index up almost 3% in intraday trading.
“Instead of the annual compliance, companies will get three years on the principle of banking and borrowing,” she said Monday in a press briefing. “The targets will stay the same, but it means more breathing space for industry and more clarity, without changing the agreed targets.”
Europe’s carmakers have pushed to change the 2025 goal after an electric vehicle sales slump last year, which made it more difficult to hit the target and may have entailed billions of euros of fines.
They could have circumvented a portion of those penalties by pooling sales with carmakers further along the transition, but concerns were raised that it would unduly benefit the likes of Elon Musk’s Tesla Inc. and Chinese manufacturers.
While the move will provide some respite Volkswagen AG had warned that it was on the hook for a €1.5 billion ($1.6 billion) hit due to the rules other companies like Volvo Car AB have called on the commission to stick to its goals to help provide regulatory certainty for those who have already invested heavily in new technology.
Less than two hours before von der Leyen’s comments, Volvo Cars said adjustments to the rules may delay the shift to electric vehicles.
Set years ago, the EU standards gave the industry plenty of time to prepare and several mechanisms to comply, Volvo Chief Executive Officer Jim Rowan said in an emailed statement.
Volvo “has made the heavy investments needed to be ready for 2025,” Rowan said.
“Companies like ours should not be disadvantaged by any last-minute changes to legislation.”
Volvo was among the automakers poised to benefit from over-complying with the EU’s regulation. Analysts at UBS Group AG have said they expect the company to be paid as much as €300 million by peers wanting to pool their fleet with the manufacturer. It’s not fully clear what von der Leyen’s extension means for pooling.
Environmental groups also criticized the additional flexibility, saying that it risked further undermining the competitiveness of European carmakers during the transition. The advocacy group Transport & Environment described the change as “an unprecedented gift to Europe’s car industry in the middle of a compliance year.”
“Weakening the EU clean car rules rewards laggards and does little for Europe’s car industry except to leave it further behind China,” William Todts, T&E’s executive director, said in an emailed statement. “The EU risks creating very damaging uncertainty about the electric vehicle transition in Europe.”
The proposed amendment will need to be signed off by member states and the European Parliament.
The commission is set to publish on Wednesday its action plan to help Europe’s embattled car industry, with the relief on the 2025 targets to be supplemented with longer-term measures, like encouraging the corporate car sector to incentivize the purchase of EVs. Von der Leyen announced that the EU would set up an industry alliance to promote technological advances, particularly in autonomous driving.
She also said that the bloc would explore direct EU support for its battery makers, including gradually introducing European content requirements for batteries.
The targeted amendment to give the auto sector flexibility under the 2025 emissions rules will be proposed later this month, according to von der Leyen. In effect, the changes will mean that carmakers can miss the target this year as long as they outperform in the next two.
Shares of European automakers including Volkswagen AG, Mercedes-Benz Group AG and Renault SA jumped following von der Leyen’s remarks, sending the Stoxx 600 Automobiles & Parts Index up almost 3% in intraday trading.
“Instead of the annual compliance, companies will get three years on the principle of banking and borrowing,” she said Monday in a press briefing. “The targets will stay the same, but it means more breathing space for industry and more clarity, without changing the agreed targets.”
Europe’s carmakers have pushed to change the 2025 goal after an electric vehicle sales slump last year, which made it more difficult to hit the target and may have entailed billions of euros of fines.
They could have circumvented a portion of those penalties by pooling sales with carmakers further along the transition, but concerns were raised that it would unduly benefit the likes of Elon Musk’s Tesla Inc. and Chinese manufacturers.
While the move will provide some respite Volkswagen AG had warned that it was on the hook for a €1.5 billion ($1.6 billion) hit due to the rules other companies like Volvo Car AB have called on the commission to stick to its goals to help provide regulatory certainty for those who have already invested heavily in new technology.
Less than two hours before von der Leyen’s comments, Volvo Cars said adjustments to the rules may delay the shift to electric vehicles.
Set years ago, the EU standards gave the industry plenty of time to prepare and several mechanisms to comply, Volvo Chief Executive Officer Jim Rowan said in an emailed statement.
Volvo “has made the heavy investments needed to be ready for 2025,” Rowan said.
“Companies like ours should not be disadvantaged by any last-minute changes to legislation.”
Volvo was among the automakers poised to benefit from over-complying with the EU’s regulation. Analysts at UBS Group AG have said they expect the company to be paid as much as €300 million by peers wanting to pool their fleet with the manufacturer. It’s not fully clear what von der Leyen’s extension means for pooling.
Environmental groups also criticized the additional flexibility, saying that it risked further undermining the competitiveness of European carmakers during the transition. The advocacy group Transport & Environment described the change as “an unprecedented gift to Europe’s car industry in the middle of a compliance year.”
“Weakening the EU clean car rules rewards laggards and does little for Europe’s car industry except to leave it further behind China,” William Todts, T&E’s executive director, said in an emailed statement. “The EU risks creating very damaging uncertainty about the electric vehicle transition in Europe.”
The proposed amendment will need to be signed off by member states and the European Parliament.
The commission is set to publish on Wednesday its action plan to help Europe’s embattled car industry, with the relief on the 2025 targets to be supplemented with longer-term measures, like encouraging the corporate car sector to incentivize the purchase of EVs. Von der Leyen announced that the EU would set up an industry alliance to promote technological advances, particularly in autonomous driving.
She also said that the bloc would explore direct EU support for its battery makers, including gradually introducing European content requirements for batteries.
teamzr1
Supporting vendor
In yet another stunning example of government waste, the Biden administration’s $3 billion scheme to convert the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) fleet to electric vehicles (EVs) has delivered nothing but empty promises, skyrocketing costs, and a mere 93 vehicles out of the planned 50,000.
Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Representative Michael Cloud (R-Texas) are leading the charge against reckless taxpayer-funded disaster.
They introduced the Return to Sender Act, a bill aimed at clawing back the unspent billions that were funneled into the failed USPS EV initiative under Biden’s so-called Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
“Biden’s $3 billion EV fleet for USPS is lost in the mail! Just 93 of 50,000 vehicles have been delivered.
I am canceling the order and returning the unspent money to sender: the taxpayers!” Ernst wrote on X.
The USPS originally placed its 50,000-vehicle order three years ago, but thanks to bureaucratic mismanagement and Biden’s radical green agenda, barely 0.2% of those vehicles have made it to the streets.
Meanwhile, the cost of production continues to balloon, and taxpayers are footing the bill for a non-existent fleet.
“The Biden administration’s so-called Inflation Reduction Act funneled billions into a failed USPS EV project that has delivered nothing but delays, defective trucks, and skyrocketing costs,” said Cloud.
“Three years later, taxpayers are still waiting while the Postal Service refuses to provide basic transparency on where the money went.
The Return to Sender Act takes back the $3 billion in taxpayer money that has been wasted in this project.”
The Return to Sender Act aims to repeal and rescind any remaining, unobligated funds from the Inflation Reduction Act’s USPS EV provisions. The bill cancels this colossal waste of taxpayer money before even more cash is flushed down the drain.
The legislation targets sections 70002 and 70003 of the IRA, ensuring that billions in misused climate funds are reallocated to the American people instead of being used to prop up another one of Biden’s green boondoggles.
According to the press release, “Because of its ballooning cost and delays, the USPS EV project was featured as one of the worst government boondoggles when Ernst introduced her Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act that will require the disclosure of any government project that is $1 billion over budget or five years behind schedule.”
Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Representative Michael Cloud (R-Texas) are leading the charge against reckless taxpayer-funded disaster.
They introduced the Return to Sender Act, a bill aimed at clawing back the unspent billions that were funneled into the failed USPS EV initiative under Biden’s so-called Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
“Biden’s $3 billion EV fleet for USPS is lost in the mail! Just 93 of 50,000 vehicles have been delivered.
I am canceling the order and returning the unspent money to sender: the taxpayers!” Ernst wrote on X.
The USPS originally placed its 50,000-vehicle order three years ago, but thanks to bureaucratic mismanagement and Biden’s radical green agenda, barely 0.2% of those vehicles have made it to the streets.
Meanwhile, the cost of production continues to balloon, and taxpayers are footing the bill for a non-existent fleet.
“The Biden administration’s so-called Inflation Reduction Act funneled billions into a failed USPS EV project that has delivered nothing but delays, defective trucks, and skyrocketing costs,” said Cloud.
“Three years later, taxpayers are still waiting while the Postal Service refuses to provide basic transparency on where the money went.
The Return to Sender Act takes back the $3 billion in taxpayer money that has been wasted in this project.”
The Return to Sender Act aims to repeal and rescind any remaining, unobligated funds from the Inflation Reduction Act’s USPS EV provisions. The bill cancels this colossal waste of taxpayer money before even more cash is flushed down the drain.
The legislation targets sections 70002 and 70003 of the IRA, ensuring that billions in misused climate funds are reallocated to the American people instead of being used to prop up another one of Biden’s green boondoggles.
According to the press release, “Because of its ballooning cost and delays, the USPS EV project was featured as one of the worst government boondoggles when Ernst introduced her Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act that will require the disclosure of any government project that is $1 billion over budget or five years behind schedule.”
teamzr1
Supporting vendor
Bye, Bye government mandated EVs
(EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin went over his recent historic launch of the largest deregulatory effort in U.S. history and talked about the EPA’s sweeping deregulations to “save the coal industry” and “bring down the cost of living.”
After announcing 31 deregulations on Wednesday, including the termination of the Biden administration’s “Environmental Justice and DEI arms of the agency (EJ/DEI),” Zeldin told Boyle, “Undoubtedly, we’re going to be able to create jobs, including inside the American auto sector.”
“We will bring down the cost of living. It’s going to be easier to heat your home, to purchase a vehicle, to operate a business,” the former New York congressman said, touting President Donald Trump’s economic plan.
“A lot of Americans struggling to make ends meet want common sense back into the federal government, and we’re going to do our part at the EPA,” Zeldin continued. “So that’s why we made this announcement. It’s a lot of regulatory actions impacting the energy space. We want to make it easier for people to be able to access choice.”
In its announcement, the EPA stated that the deregulatory actions will “roll back trillions in regulatory costs and hidden ‘taxes'” on American families.
One of the larger commitments made by the agency was to clear the hundreds of backlogged cases having to do with clean air, saying the Biden administration focused on “ideological pursuits” rather than the agency’s “core mission.”
Zeldin also told Boyle that the EPA is “eliminating” the Biden administration’s electric vehicle (EV) mandate.
“President Trump talks about clean, beautiful coal, and what we’re doing on Wednesday is going to save the coal industry,” he stated.
“I’ve been told that we’re going after the holy grail of the climate change religion, and I would just say this: that we can protect the environment and grow the economy. It’s not a binary choice,” he explained. “We don’t have to just choose one. The Trump administration chooses both.”
(EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin went over his recent historic launch of the largest deregulatory effort in U.S. history and talked about the EPA’s sweeping deregulations to “save the coal industry” and “bring down the cost of living.”
After announcing 31 deregulations on Wednesday, including the termination of the Biden administration’s “Environmental Justice and DEI arms of the agency (EJ/DEI),” Zeldin told Boyle, “Undoubtedly, we’re going to be able to create jobs, including inside the American auto sector.”
“We will bring down the cost of living. It’s going to be easier to heat your home, to purchase a vehicle, to operate a business,” the former New York congressman said, touting President Donald Trump’s economic plan.
“A lot of Americans struggling to make ends meet want common sense back into the federal government, and we’re going to do our part at the EPA,” Zeldin continued. “So that’s why we made this announcement. It’s a lot of regulatory actions impacting the energy space. We want to make it easier for people to be able to access choice.”
In its announcement, the EPA stated that the deregulatory actions will “roll back trillions in regulatory costs and hidden ‘taxes'” on American families.
One of the larger commitments made by the agency was to clear the hundreds of backlogged cases having to do with clean air, saying the Biden administration focused on “ideological pursuits” rather than the agency’s “core mission.”
Zeldin also told Boyle that the EPA is “eliminating” the Biden administration’s electric vehicle (EV) mandate.
“President Trump talks about clean, beautiful coal, and what we’re doing on Wednesday is going to save the coal industry,” he stated.
“I’ve been told that we’re going after the holy grail of the climate change religion, and I would just say this: that we can protect the environment and grow the economy. It’s not a binary choice,” he explained. “We don’t have to just choose one. The Trump administration chooses both.”
Roscobbc
Moderator
I wonder who Trump imagines will want to work in the coal, auto and other 'lost' industries? - given the likely salary levels Americans will reasonably expect for manual work I further wonder how US car makers will manage to be competitive in their own market if paying the salary levels the workers will find accepable?
The American public with a history of initially purchasing European and Japanesed imported cars......and laterly buying the brands of car perhaps assembled or fully manufactured in USA based assembly plants.......how will the buying public face-up to buying cars perhaps designed and built by historic American brands..... yet not being able to source the foreign brands they really want and have been purchasing for the last 40 or 50 years?
It'll be interesting to see how it all works.
The American public with a history of initially purchasing European and Japanesed imported cars......and laterly buying the brands of car perhaps assembled or fully manufactured in USA based assembly plants.......how will the buying public face-up to buying cars perhaps designed and built by historic American brands..... yet not being able to source the foreign brands they really want and have been purchasing for the last 40 or 50 years?
It'll be interesting to see how it all works.