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The NetZero Insider team’s zero-emissions transportation news for this week was headlined by the fallout of the Biden administration’s announcement of significant new tariffs on Chinese goods.


The announcement included a 100% tariff on EVs and a 25% tariff on EV batteries and battery components. The administration said the tariffs will counteract “unfair, nonmarket practices” by China and spur production in the U.S., which has been slow scale up, K Kaufmann reports


The announcement received harsh criticism from Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D), who called the tariffs “a major setback for clean energy” and argued they will increase costs for consumers, Colorado Newsline reports


New polling from J.D. Power indicates that fewer people in the U.S. are considering buying an EV in 2024 compared to 2023, driven by concerns about public charging infrastructure and affordability, Reuters writes


In other EV policy news: 

  • A new Nebraska law could pave the way for more EV charging stations; 

  • the automotive industry spent a record $85.8 million on lobbying in 2023; 

  • Wyoming’s Republican senators sponsored a pair of bills to axe federal tax credits for EVs and charging stations, and strip EPA of its authority to regulate tailpipe emissions; 

  • Nebraska AG Mike Hilgers announced he is leading a multistate legal challenge against EPA’s tailpipe emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles; and 

  • Maryland utility programs to boost EV ownership have lost ratepayers about $45 million, according to a report by a utility watchdog organization. 

In fuel cell news, the Argonne National Laboratory is developing a research and development facility for large-scale fuel cell systems that could be used in a variety of heavy-duty vehicles from trains to aircraft, Daily Energy Insider reports


In Bakersfield, Calif., WattEV opened “the world’s largest solar-powered truck charging station,” which includes 5.7 MW of solar and 2.7 MWh of battery storage, according to pv magazine USA


All that and more in this week’s Intelligence Report:


Jump To

Electric Vehicles
Fuel Cells
Heavy-duty Vehicles

 
 

U.S.

Fewer people in the US plan to buy EVs this year, study shows

Factors include a shortage of affordable cars, inadequate charging infrastructure and ignorance about EV benefits, a study by J.D. Power has shown, as wekk as inflation, interest rates and underwhelming growth in model availability. Reuters


U.S.

The inside story of Elon Musk's mass firings of Tesla Supercharger staff

Musk's layoffs upended a network widely viewed as a signature Tesla achievement and a key driver of its EV sales. Reuters


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Electric Vehicles

California

California seeks drivers to test mileage fee to replace gas tax

California officials are still trying to figure out how to pay for road maintenance once electric vehicles dominate and gas tax revenue dries up, so they're offering drivers up to $400 to test alternatives. Los Angeles Times


California

San Diego to create sprawling citywide network of electric vehicle chargers

The deal aims to make it easier for residents to own electric cars, help reduce local greenhouse gas emissions and help the city replace its 5,000-vehicle gas-powered fleet. La Jolla Light


California

Trump who? California Republicans love electric vehicles

Conservative lawmakers say they want the state's EV market to succeed and aren't paying attention to former President Donald Trump's rhetoric. E&E News


Colorado

Colorado Gov. Polis slams Biden's new tariffs on Chinese EVs, solar panels

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis had harsh words for President Joe Biden's move to sharply increase tariffs on many Chinese-made goods. Polis, a moderate Democrat who has often been at odds with members of his party over issues of taxation and regulation, joins free-trade advocates and some progressive environmental groups in criticizing the tariff hikes. Colorado Newsline


Georgia

Georgia postponed a tax on charging electric vehicles. What it means for residents

Gov. Brian Kemp has signed House Bill 516, which gives stakeholders like the Department of Agriculture, the entity overseeing the gas pump tax, more time to figure out how to implement a way to accurately measure and pay for this tax at all public EV charging stations. The Ledger-Enquirer


International

Biden Is Trying to Buy EVs Time With New Tariffs on China. It Might Not Work

President Biden's electric vehicle tariffs are meant to buy U.S. industry time to compete, but even with more time, the future will be complicated. Automakers and auto suppliers selling in the U.S. will have to figure out how to stay afloat even as they continue to pour billions into electric vehicle and battery development. And while U.S. electric vehicle sales are going up, their growth has slowed. WIRED


International

How hard will new US tariffs hit China EVs and other exports?

President Joe Biden is to announce new China tariffs soon, targeting sectors including electric vehicles, medical supplies and solar equipment, according to people familiar with the matter. Reuters


International

OPINION: Don't Slam the Door on Inexpensive Chinese Electric Vehicles

To accomplish its domestic goals, the Biden administration ought to be taxing China for its soaring carbon emissions, not for its electric vehicles and solar panels, write Gernot Wagner and Conor Walsh, a climate economist and macroeconomist, respectively, at Columbia Business School. The New York Times


International

OPINION: Tariffs on China aren't the way to win the EV arms race -- getting serious on EVs is

President Biden is to quadruple tariffs on Chinese EVs to protect the U.S. auto industry from the rapid growth of Chinese EV manufacturing, but instead, he should try making affordable hot new EVs, writes electric car driver Jameson Dow. Electrek


International

What's behind the US tariffs on Chinese EVs and what do they mean for Biden's re-election chances?

Biden's national economic adviser, Lael Brainard, perhaps best summed up the purpose of the huge new tariffs when she said that they would ensure that government investments in jobs are not undercut by "underpriced exports from China." The Guardian


Maryland

Maryland utilities' EV programs lose money, watchdog says

A five-year program by Maryland utilities to support electric vehicles lost far more money than it gained and should be mostly discontinued, according to an independent state agency. E&E News


Michigan

Ford trims EV battery orders as losses swell to over $100,000 per electric car in Q1

After announcing plans to delay around $12 billion in EV spending last year, Ford has continued to push back EV initiatives, citing slower-than-expected market demand. Electrek


Nebraska

Nebraska may see additional electric vehicle charging stations under new law

A bill passed in this year's Nebraska legislative session may increase the number of electric vehicle charging stations in the state, according to electric vehicle lobbying group Charge Ahead Partnership. Nebraska Public Media


North Carolina

North Carolina leading the way in EV initiatives

Electric vehicle manufacturers are ramping up production to meet the federal government's 2030 deadline. By then, half of all new vehicles sold in the United States will have to be zero emissions. The North Carolina Department of Transportation has embarked on a journey to make this technology more attainable and accessible to all. WCNC


Ohio

Gov. DeWine announces phase two of making Ohio more EV friendly

Ohio is becoming more electric vehicle-friendly after phase two of the Gov. Mike DeWine's plan to install more EV charging sites statewide was announced. The state will award nearly $16 million to install 22 new EV fast-charging stations along Ohio's interstates, state routes and U.S. routes WSYX


U.S.

Electric Cars Are Made by Republicans and Driven by Democrats

Electric vehicles are being adopted at the fastest rate inside blue-leaning major metropolitan areas, but counties that Donald Trump won in 2020 are receiving the most private investment, and the jobs associated with it, in new EV-production facilities, according to a Brookings Metro analysis. The Atlantic


U.S.

Lobbying by automotive companies increases as electric vehicle sales soar

As electric vehicle sales reached an all-time high last year, the automotive industry's spending on federal lobbying hit a record of nearly $85.8 million after a steady increase since 2020. In the first quarter of 2024, the industry's federal lobbying spending topped $23.1 million. OpenSecrets


U.S.

Study: Most EV Skeptics Will Consider EVs in 3-5 Years

Electric vehicle skeptics are numerous today. They won't be by the end of the decade. Kelley Blue Book parent company Cox Automotive draws this conclusion in a new study, the 2024 Path to EV Adoption. The study finds that most EV skeptics will consider buying a battery-powered vehicle within three to five years, and 80% will consider an EV within a decade. Kelley Blue Book


U.S.

U.S. share of electric and hybrid vehicle sales decreased in the first quarter of 2024

The share of electric and hybrid vehicle sales in the United States decreased in the first quarter of 2024 as battery electric vehicle sales declined. Hybrid vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and BEVs fell to 18.0% of total new light-duty vehicle sales in the United States in the first quarter of 2024 from 18.8% in 4Q23, according to estimates from Wards Intelligence. U.S. Energy Information Administration


Wyoming

Wyoming reps take aim at electric vehicles, keeping with key partisan difference

Wyoming Sens. John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis have sponsored a pair of bills that lay siege to EVs on multiple fronts. The first aims to end the federal tax credit for new electric vehicles and abolish the investment tax credit for electric vehicle charging stations. The second would block the Biden administration's electric vehicle mandates by stripping EPA of its authority to regulate tailpipe emissions under Title II of the Clean Air Act. Casper Star-Tribune


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Fuel Cells

Illinois

Argonne National Lab to build R&D facility to test large-scale fuel cell systems

The goal is to improve the performance, durability, reliability, and efficiency of heavy-duty fuel cell systems while lowering the cost. Daily Energy Insider


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Heavy-duty Vehicles

California

Solar powered electric truck stop opens in California

WattEV's 5.7 MW solar-powered truck stop, with demand charge management driven by solar-;plus-storage, has begun operations in Bakersfield. pv Magazine


Illinois

ComEd Adds First All-Electric Bucket Trucks to Its Growing Fleet of Electric Vehicles

The addition of new, zero-emissions vehicles is part of a ComEd initiative to transition its fleet vehicles powered by internal combustion engines to the use of fully electric, biodiesel and clean powered vehicles supporting its work across northern Illinois. CleanTechnica


Nebraska

Nebraska AG leading multi-state coalitions in two lawsuits to stop electric-vehicle mandates on truck owners, operators

Attorney General Mike Hilgers has announced that he is leading multistate coalitions in two lawsuits to stop the Biden administration and the state of California from imposing electric-vehicle mandates on truck owners and operators throughout the country. KOLN


U.S.

OPINION: Why the EPA shouldn't favor school bus electrification

The environmental benefits of vehicle electrification are not as obvious as once thought, and the grid is simply not ready to service the load, writes Tucker Perkins, CEO of the Propane Education and Research Council. Utility Dive


U.S.

Eight Things To Know About Electric School Bus Repowers

The first school bus repowers were performed in 2014, but more recently, the availability of this technology has grown substantially with repowered school bus models currently available from several electric vehicle conversion companies. CleanTechnica


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