Tag: electric cars

Race to mine metals for EV batteries threatens marine paradise

Stark images, captured from a drone by environmental campaigners and shared with the BBC, appear to show how nickel mining has stripped forests and polluted waters in one of the most biodiverse marine habitats on Earth.

The Raja Ampat archipelago – a group of small islands in Indonesia’s Southwest Papua Province – has been dubbed the “Amazon of the Seas”.

But mining for nickel – an ingredient in electric vehicle batteries and in stainless steel – has ramped up there in recent years, according to the organisation Global Witness.

In a move that was welcomed by campaigners, the Indonesian government this week revoked permits for four out of five mining companies operating in the region.

In a statement published online, Indonesia’s Ministry for the Environment said: “Raja Ampat’s biodiversity is a world heritage that must be protected.

“We pay great attention to mining activities that occur in the area.”

But photographs – taken by Global Witness as part of an investigation – appear to show environmental damage already done.

Aerial images show forest loss and sediment run-off into waters that are home to biodiverse coral reefs.

Global Witness told the BBC that land use for mining, across multiple small islands in the archipelago, increased by 500 hectares – equivalent to about 700 football pitches – between 2020 and 2024.

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Another Nail in the EV Coffin

Matthew Lynn’s latest column in Telegraph has flagged up a WhatCar? survey that reveals EVs are the most likely to leave you stranded by the roadside. He summarises the survey’s main findings:

 Exclusive What Car? research shows that electric vehicles (EVs) suffer more breakdowns than diesel, hybrid or petrol models, and that EVs are the least likely to be fixed at the roadside.

What Car? asked 29,967 car owners about their breakdown experiences over the past two years as part of the most recent What Car? Reliability Survey, conducted in association with MotorEasy.

Overall, 11% of survey participants said their car had broken down in the past two years, but the breakdown rate for EV owners was 16.8%, the highest of all fuel types. In contrast, 10.7% of petrol-powered cars needed to be recovered, 14% of hybrids broke down and 15% of diesel vehicles.

Lynn is excoriating in his judgement of EVs:

They will save the planet, they are quieter, they will rebuild local industries, and they even come with attractive tax breaks. Rewind a couple of years, and there were plenty of reasons for buying a shiny new Tesla or Polestar electric vehicle instead of an old-fashioned, high-pollution, petrol or diesel car.

And yet, one by one, all those arguments have been punctured. They won’t help the environment as much as we think, they are mostly made in China, the tax breaks are gone, and now we learn that they are more likely to break down as well.

Along with higher insurance costs, EVs are rapidly being exposed as the expensive choice:

The faults on EV’s were less likely to be something that could be fixed on the side of the road by an emergency repair service, meaning that motorists were less likely to be able to complete their journey, and might have to pay for an expensive towing service as well.

And of course, if something does go wrong it will probably cost more to fix, with surveys suggesting that EVs cost 30% to 50% more to repair than petrol cars, while replacing the tyres if you get a puncture will be pricey as well, with each one, according to one survey, costing £77 more on average than traditional vehicles.

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House version of Trump’s ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’ creates federal tax on electric, hybrid vehicles

There’s a first-of-its-kind national vehicle registration tax tucked inside the final version of President Trump and the GOP’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” The legislation has created a new federal vehicle tax for energy-efficient vehicles that rises each year based on inflation.

The annual national registration fee would begin at $250 for electric vehicles and $150 for hybrid vehicles. An earlier version of the bill included a $20 fee for all other vehicles, but it was dropped from the final version that passed the House on Thursday. The only Republicans to vote against the bill were Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Warren Davidson of Ohio. All House Democrats voted against it.

The Senate is now considering the legislation.

Under the House-passed bill, the administrator of the Federal Highway Administration would impose the fees each year. 

According to the text of the bill, a state motor vehicle department must “incorporate the collection of the fees” into the vehicle registration and renewal processes administered by each department “so long as such fees are imposed for each year in which the fees are required.”

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The Tesla attacks are proof that the left is turning on itself in orgy of liberal cannibalism

Climate crusaders, those sanctimonious shepherds of the earth, are trading their pious protests for outright carnage as attacks against Tesla vehicles ripple across the country — an orgy of liberal cannibalism that’s as predictable as a vegan toting along his own tofu to a barbecue. 

But setting EVs on fire isn’t the only banner of hypocrisy unfurled lately by eco-warriors — whose extremist ideologies increasingly collide with the real world to reveal their ironic outcomes.

This month, officials in the Brazilian city of Belém paved over tens of thousands of acres of protected Amazon rainforest and wetland to build a four-lane, eight-mile-long highway necessary to accommodate the roughly 50,000 climate activists who will descend on the city in November for the UN’s COP30 climate summit. 

That’s not all the jet-setting eco zealots will require: The local airport is doubling its capacity, to 14 million passengers; the seaport is being redeveloped to accommodate cruise ships; a 5.3 million square foot sports and entertainment complex is under construction; and a row of hotels is going up along the new “sustainable highway,” as local authorities dub the project.

Across the world, the UK government is moving ahead on plans to bulldoze 4,000 acres of pristine countryside in Dereham and Swaffham to install a solar panel farm, one of several new solar farms under consideration in the gray, rainy little island nation.

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Alberta to impose EV tax starting next Thursday

Starting February 13, Alberta’s electric car drivers will be subject to an EV tax. A $200 surcharge will be added to their tab when they renew their annual registration.

“Owners of electric vehicles use the same roads as other Albertan drivers,” said Alberta’s Minister of Service and Red Tape Reduction, Dale Nally. “It’s only fair they contribute to public services, including those that ensure the continued safety and upkeep of Alberta’s roads.”

The province says it addresses concerns on tax fairness, according to a prior government news release, with drivers of internal combustion engine vehicles paying similar fuel tax charges each year. 

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Trump Suspends $5 Billion Electric Vehicle Charging Station Program

President Donald Trump’s administration halted the $5 billion Biden electric vehicle charging program, which has been criticized for its poor production of charging stations.

Emily Biondi, the associate administrator for the Office of Planning, Environment, and Realty, in a letter to the state Department of Transportation directors on Thursday, said the administration has suspended the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) 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,” Biondi wrote.

“As result of the rescission of the NEVI Formula Program Guidance, FHWA is also immediately suspending the approval of all State Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment plans for all fiscal years. Therefore, effective immediately, no new obligations may occur under the NEVI Formula Program until the updated final NEVI Formula Program Guidance is issued and new State plans are submitted and approved,” the official continued.

Lawmakers included the $5 billion program in the $1.2 trillion so-called infrastructure bill, more formally known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The program had aimed to create more than 6,000 charging stations and has served as an embarrassment for then-Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

In September 2023, Buttigieg admitted he had trouble finding an electric charging station while he was traveling on the road.

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EV Fiasco: Ford Lost $5.1 Billion on Electric Vehicles in 2024

Ford Motor Company has reported a $5.1 billion loss in its electric vehicle and software business for 2024, with expectations of losing even more in 2025.

The Verge reports that on Wednesday, Ford Motor Company announced its fourth quarter and full-year earnings for 2024, surpassing Wall Street expectations. However, the automaker also reported substantial losses in its electric vehicle (EV) and software division, known as Model e. The company lost $5.1 billion in this segment in 2024, a significant increase from the $4.7 billion lost in the previous year. Furthermore, Ford predicts that losses will continue to mount, potentially reaching $5.5 billion in 2025.

Despite these setbacks in the EV business, Ford’s traditional gas-powered vehicles continue to perform well, generating sufficient revenue to keep the company profitable overall. The automaker reported a full-year net income of $5.9 billion and an adjusted earnings of $10.2 billion. However, Ford cautioned that its earnings may drop by $2 billion or more in 2025 due to the costs associated with new vehicle launches and declining car prices.

During the earnings call, CEO Jim Farley addressed concerns about potential tariffs threatened by President Donald Trump on imports from Mexico and Canada. Farley stated that while a few weeks of tariffs would be “manageable,” prolonged tariffs would have a “huge impact” on the industry, potentially wiping out billions of dollars in profits and adversely affecting U.S. jobs and the entire value system in the automotive sector. He also warned of higher prices for consumers if the tariffs remain in place.

Compared to its rivals in the EV market, Ford appears to be lagging behind. While General Motors released several new electric models last year, including Chevy and Cadillac vehicles, Ford currently offers only three battery-electric vehicles for sale. Moreover, GM’s EV business is showing signs of profitability, while Ford’s continues to struggle.

To address these challenges, Ford plans to introduce a range of powertrains, including battery-electric, plug-in hybrid, and extended-range EVs that use small gas engines to recharge the battery, offering up to 700 miles of range. Farley mentioned that these new models will be built on flexible body-on-frame and unit-body platforms designed specifically for multi-energy powertrains.

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California’s Obsession with EVs Is Turning Neighborhoods Into Minefields

The fires that swept through the Los Angeles area pose a massive challenge for city officials and residents, not just from the sheer scale of the initial damage, but from the unique challenges presented by the cleanup.

Among the most difficult challenges will be handling the damaged lithium ion batteries found in electric vehicles left on properties during the evacuation.

EV Magazine noted that California leads the United States with respect to electric vehicle adoption, with just around 40% of electric cars in the country on its roads, especially because of green policies pushed by the state government.

According to one Wednesday report from KNBC-TV, the fires may have therefore created one of the largest cleanups of lithium ion batteries ever.

Steve Calanog, the incident commander for the Environmental Protection Agency handling the Palisades and Eaton fire cleanups, said in comments to KNBC-TV that the project will be “from our estimation, probably the largest lithium-ion battery pickup, cleanup, that’s ever happened in the history of the world.”

There were countless plug-in hybrid cars and electric vehicles in the area destroyed by the Pacific Palisades and Eaton fires.

The batteries can explode when they face damage or extreme heat.

Even worse, residual heat can cause an explosion days, weeks, or months after the initial disruption.

The cars may show no visible sign of damage, presenting danger to residents and contractors returning to destroyed properties to start the cleanups.

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Cherokee Nation receives $10.7M grant for electric vehicle charging ports

The Cherokee Nation is receiving a $10.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to install 112 publicly accessible electric vehicle charging ports across 12 community locations. 

The project will place chargers in prominent destinations like parks and health centers. The initiative supports the Cherokee Nation’s clean energy goals and President Biden’s Justice 40 initiative, ensuring that nearly the entire reservation is within 25 miles of charging infrastructure.

“Our goal at the Cherokee Nation is to reduce our carbon footprint by 25 percent by 2027, and we continue to make these strides,” Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said. “This latest federal grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation will help us continue to add even more electric vehicle charging stations across the Cherokee Nation Reservation as more consumers purchase electric vehicles and need places to charge.”

Proposed sites for EV Charging stations include properties owned by the Cherokee Nation in Ochelata, Jay, South Coffeyville, Nowata, Tahlequah, Stilwell, Grove, Salina, Vinita and Tulsa.

EV charging stations now exist throughout the tribe’s reservation including Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa, Cherokee Casino Tahlequah, Ann Mitchell Cultural & Welcome Center in Vinita and Cherokee Nation’s W.W. Keeler Tribal Complex government office.

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Local Media Laments Lack of Free-To-Buyer Cars As EV Incentive Program Goes Bust

It’s not surprising — the climate cult has forced EV’s on the public so hard, with both carrots and sticks, and the incoming President campaigned on righting the electric ship and its mandates. 

Then there is the matter of charging stations, which the American people fully funded, albeit against their will, which were never fully realized under current leadership. 

But the real story here is the example CPR raises of a customer that feels “defeated” and “betrayed.”

The customer is Lisa Levad, a small business owner who figured out that she could get a used BMW EV for free by stacking rebates. She traded in her truck and chose a dealership that maxed out EV credits. She nearly got it done, too, except Xcel ran out of money before her rebate passed through, so she was left paying $2500 for a BMW electric vehicle. 

The CPR article paints her as a victim. She is apparently a victim because she failed to get a free car. 

Also, hilariously, she says the quiet part about EVs out loud: 

“While the car only offers 60 miles of range, she said it works for city driving and taking her granddaughter to school. ‘It is a very deluxe golf cart. I love it, though,’ Levad said.”

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