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In a relatively quiet week for transportation decarbonization news, a couple of outlets considered the partisan divide over EVs in response to new polling from GOP political consultant and EV proponent Mike Murphy.
Murphy told Green Car Reports that Republican opposition to EVs is not monolithic, noting that when 18 GOP governors authored a letter allying with car dealers in protesting Biden EV targets, neither Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp nor Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee — whose states have benefited from EV factories spurred by federal support — took part.
Murphy told E&E that electric automakers should go back to the basics of selling cars: “Focus on the vehicle: fast, fun, no gas, less regular maintenance needs. All of these attributes are big winners with Republican consumers. Why? They focus on the driving experience, not political issues.”
GreenBiz wrote about the “domino effect” of transport sector decarbonization and the need to share innovation between sectors. For example, a company seeking to produce the world’s first zero-carbon glass bottles “could help advance zero-carbon glass across the automotive industry.”
California Bets on Hydrogen
California officials are betting big on hydrogen’s future: Caltrans announced $127million in funding for six hydrogen-powered trains and the state Energy Commission pledged $1.85 billion to expand zero-emission vehicle infrastructure, most of it for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, including those fueled by hydrogen. NetZero Insider’s Elaine
Goodman reported on both.
The state announcements came a week after Shell said it was closing most of its hydrogen refueling stations for light-duty vehicles in the state. Shell's reversal “while not fatal for the market, still represents a hammer blow for hydrogen fuel cell passenger technology,” writes Gaurav Sharma in Forbes.
And Top Speed looks at why Toyota is hellbent
on keeping the hydrogen-powered Mirai alive despite its poor sales, citing hydrogen-powered vehicles’ lower weight, faster refueling times and higher payload capacity.
Also worth a read: National Defense Magazine’s update on the military’s development of electric-powered tactical vehicles, and Electrek’s look at John Deere’s plan to launch fully electric tractors by 2026.
All that and much more in this week’s Intelligence Report:
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International
Cross-sectoral collaboration is critical if we are to achieve system-level global decarbonization. The more companies cross-pollinate and industries share innovations and knowledge, the faster we will achieve our collective goals. Take Encirc, for example. If the glass container company is successful in producing the world's first zero-carbon
glass bottles, that innovation could help advance zero-carbon glass across the automotive industry. GreenBiz
U.S.
After recently enacting laws requiring 100% carbon-free power, Midwest blue states are eyeing tailpipe emissions. In Minnesota, a state-appointed working group last week issued a report with recommendations for a clean transportation standard, requiring reductions in the carbon intensity of vehicle fuels over the next two decades.
Bills to establish similar standards are also on file in states including Michigan. E&E News
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Illinois
As part of a larger investment to accelerate an equitable adoption of electric vehicles in northern Illinois, ComEd is launching two new business and public sector EV rebate programs. New programs will provide $87 million this year to help reduce upfront costs of all-electric commercial and
public sector fleet vehicle purchases and incentivize the buildout of more business and public charging across the region. Business Wire
Missouri
The Missouri House approved legislation Feb. 8 that will block cities and counties from requiring developers to install electric vehicle charging stations in new construction projects. The measure, which advanced to the Senate on a 114-29 vote, marked another attempt by the Republican-controlled Legislature to limit the ability of local governments
to approve their own laws on issues ranging from cat declawing to tougher municipal gun regulations. St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Nevada
Nevada's distributors and dealers of transportation fuels support Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, along with other governors in asserting their dissent against the EV mandate via a recent letter to the president. EV mandates may have unwanted consequences for Nevadans, writes Peter D. Krueger, state executive of the Nevada Petroleum Marketers &
Convenience Store Association. The Nevada Independent
Pennsylvania
As electric cars grow in popularity, in part due to a federal regulatory push, the Philadelphia region is going to need more charging stations. A new program is aiming to train workers to build them. City officials gathered Feb. 12 at the Navy Yard, in the new training center for the International Brotherhood of Electrical
Workers Local 98, to announce a $1.47 million federal grant aimed at training 45 workers for jobs in the electric vehicle supplies and equipment industry. The Philadelphia Inquirer
South Carolina
Scout has since expanded its U.S. footprint in Novi, Michigan, where its electric trucks are currently being designed and developed, while a new Innovation Center is erected nearby. Electrek
U.S.
Cheaper, lower-power chargers that work with standard outlets could be key to helping apartment dwellers electrify their vehicles. Canary
Media
U.S.
Industry and green groups are flocking to the White House to sway the Biden administration's looming vehicle carbon emissions rules. Transportation is the largest U.S. emissions source, and the rules aim to speed up electrification. Draft EPA standards last year effectively aim to have EVs make up two-thirds of light-duty
sales by 2032, up from around 10% now. Axios
U.S.
Failures manifest at Level 2 chargers as investments are focused on fast charging. Automotive News
U.S.
Walmart is kicking off plans to build and remodel hundreds of stores in the U.S. -- and those plans include installing DC fast chargers. The retail giant announced in April 2023 that it was going to build its own DC fast charging network at thousands of its Walmart and Sam's Club stores by 2030. Now Walmart is hitting the
ground running: It says it's going to remodel 650 stores across 47 states and Puerto Rico over the next 12 months, and build or convert more than 150 stores in the next five years. Electrek
U.S.
Republican disdain for battery-powered cars is now part of the culture wars -- but it's not exactly new. Rather, it can be traced back to the early 2010s, when the federal government first offered Tesla and Fisker loans, said Nick Loris, vice president of public policy at the conservative climate consulting firm C3 Solutions. E&E News
U.S.
Anti-EV rhetoric started taking root in the GOP more than a decade ago. In a 2012 presidential debate, Mitt Romney called Tesla a "loser" company, implying that EV manufacturers couldn't survive without government support. Tesla proved that wrong, and it was not a position that GOP party members stood behind in rank and file. But
later in the decade, Trump's derision of EVs became a perennial talking point and speech fodder. Green Car Reports
West Virginia
West Virginia transportation officials are lagging behind neighboring states in finding a partner to prepare for an expected seismic shift in how people travel. The West Virginia Department of Transportation said it hasn't settled on a process to procure a vendor to construct and maintain electric vehicle charging stations under a
federally funded $45.7 million program to build out the state's electric vehicle infrastructure. Wayne County News
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California
It's a far cry from the fanfare with which Shell entered the U.S. hydrogen fueling business in 2005 after opening its first pilot station in Washington, D.C. with a launch attended by then-President George W. Bush. Forbes
International
Hydrogen-powered vehicles offer advantages such as reduced weight, faster refueling times, higher payload capacity, and adaptability in different environments compared to electric vehicles. TopSpeed
North Carolina
John Deere completed its acquisition of Kreisel Electric and announced plans to expand its production capabilities in North America late last year, with the announcement that it had selected Kernersville, North Carolina, as the home of its new facility coming a few months later. Electrek
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Illinois
ComEd is offering $57 million in rebates to encourage businesses and local governments in Northern Illinois to buy electric vehicles, a program aimed at reducing harmful air pollution and greenhouse gases that contribute to the climate crisis. The utility is offering between $5,000 and
$180,000 for each business, city or other government applicant looking to swap out older diesel-fuel vans, trucks and buses with electric models as part of a broader statewide push to phase out fossil fuels. Chicago Sun-Times
North Carolina
John Deere mowers tractors are known for being green. Now, the company is taking that "green cred" to another level with the launch of fully electric tractors scheduled to hit the market by 2026 -- and they'll be built in North Carolina. John Deere completed its acquisition of Kreisel Electric and announced plans to
expand its production capabilities in North America late last year, with the announcement that it had selected Kernersville, N.C., as the home of its new facility coming a few months later. Electrek
U.S.
TEVx will transition to TEVCON: a full-blown convention for those invested in the challenge of weaning the vehicles that carry troops into combat off their conventional fuel sources in favor of more green and sustainable electric power. Following the conference, an associated roadshow will bring militarized electric
vehicle and battery demonstrations to bases across the country. National Defense
Virginia
Virginia is on a roll transitioning to electric school buses. And that momentum could remain uninterrupted if legislators activate a precedent-setting but dormant initiative to tap into state dollars. Energy News Network
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U.S.
The state-owned agency has announced a series of sweeping goals - to slash carbon emissions from fuel and electricity by 40% and reduce emissions from contracted services by 20%. Sustainability
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