GM’s Ultium Cells Venture: What If Electric Vehicles Survive The New Tax Bill After All?
The GM-LG venture Ultium Cells anticipates a renewed burst of interest in electric vehicles despite the obstacles created by the new tax bill.
Manufacturing
VW’s Electric Hippy Microbus Struggles In America Don’t Signal EV Collapse
The Wall Street Journal recently described Volkswagen’s much-anticipated electric ID.Buzz as a commercial flop in the U.S. market. In isolation, such headlines contribute to US narratives that the electric vehicle transition itself is losing steam. My recent time in Europe, which included time in an ID.Buzz on the way to … [continued]
Stellantis Joins Growing List Of Hydrogen Mobility Retreats
Stellantis, one of the world’s five largest automakers and a proponent of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles for light commercial vehicles, has now formally signaled a retreat from its hydrogen ambitions. This pivot away from hydrogen-powered transportation represents yet another confirmation of the longstanding challenges faced by hydrogen in mobility … [continued]
Hydrogen’s Brutal Month: Billions Lost As Mega-Projects Collapse
The last 30 days marked a particularly rough period for hydrogen advocates, with a striking series of cancellations and project halts around the globe. The cumulative scale of these decisions underscores how challenging and economically vulnerable the hydrogen-for-energy sector has become. Over the span of approximately four weeks, projects valued … [continued]
Renewable-Powered Battery Swaps: Unlocking Ship Electrification At Global Canals
The Maersk McKinney Moller Institute published an analysis in late 2024 exploring the potential for battery-electric shipping. Their study rightly concluded that battery-powered ships are not only viable but increasingly competitive, driven by falling battery prices, rising energy density, and straightforward integration of battery containers onto vessels. They missed on … [continued]
Why The Maersk Institute Was Right About Ship Batteries But Wrong On Price
The September 2024 pre-feasibility study from the Maersk McKinney Møller Center on battery-powered vessels that crossed my screen today provides a welcome and thoughtful addition to the critical discussion of maritime electrification. The report rightly identifies battery-hybrid propulsion as an essential part of shipping’s decarbonization toolkit. It demonstrates a clear … [continued]
Some Interesting News From Two Up-&-Coming US Electric Vehicle Firms
Two US-based legacy automotive firms with a long history in the propulsion field are pursuing the global electric vehicle movement.
Shipping’s Climate Reckoning: The IMO’s $36 Billion Pivot
In the wake of the International Maritime Organization’s vote to price carbon in shipping fuels, I had the opportunity to sit down with an insider and expert on maritime decarbonization, Tristan Smith. He’s the former director of a maritime advisory services consultancy, UMAS, and professor at University College London. This … [continued]
Time For Canada To Dump The Big Three & Go Electric With China
Mark Carney, Canada’s freshly minted Prime Minister, faces an early test of leadership courtesy of the country’s automotive old guard. Ford, GM, and Stellantis have banded together to ask his government to scrap Canada’s zero-emission vehicle mandate, pleading poverty and technological impossibility. Apparently, after a mere century of automotive innovation, … [continued]
VinFast Inaugurates 2nd EV Plant In Vietnam
Vietnamese automotive manufacturer VinFast commenced operations at its new electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing plant in the Vũng Áng Economic Zone, Hà Tĩnh Province. The facility is the second EV plant, located about 430 kilometers (~267 miles) from its main factory in Hai Phong. Constructed in under seven months, it is … [continued]
