by David Shepardson, Rachael Levy and Chris Kirkham (Reuters) Effort would be similar to Trump policy during first administration; Move aims to satisfy campaign promise to end EV mandate; Automakers find Biden regulations too onerous, source says - President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration plans to target federal
Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV)
Back TO HOMEAttorney General Hilgers Files Brief to Stop Biden-Harris Administration’s Electric-Truck Mandate
(Office of Nebraska Attorney General) Attorney General Mike Hilgers led a coalition of states in filing a brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit today. Hilgers’s suit is aimed at stopping the Biden-Harris Administration from imposing an
November 05, 2024 Read Full Article
How a More Pragmatic Approach to Biofuels Would Boost EU Competitiveness
by David Carpintero (ePURE/EurActiv) The latest EU policy mantra is ‘competitiveness’ – a word that was recently brought to new prominence thanks to a long-awaited report from Mario Draghi and one that will continue to be chanted by incoming European Commissioners and
November 05, 2024 Read Full Article
Reflections on Elections, Internal Combustion Engines, and Electric Vehicles
by Allen Schaeffer (Engine Technology Forum) ... (T)his year vehicle and fuels policy - mostly aimed at electric vehicles (EVs), but also some proposed bans on internal combustion engines (ICEs) - has been a campaign-year issue at the national and
October 30, 2024 Read Full Article
Porsche Ready to Develop Gas Versions of EVs
by Roger Biermann (Car Buzz) Porsche has taken a bold decision that may see its electrification strategy regress in light of poor demand for EVs. While it won't see plans for electric models shelved, it could see models slated to go all-electric
October 28, 2024 Read Full Article
Scout's EVs Will Be Available with a Backup Gas Engine
by Joann Muller (Axios) ... • An EREV (Extended Range Electric Vehicle) runs entirely on battery power, but includes a small internal combustion engine that automatically recharges the battery when it runs low. That means significantly longer driving distances (and fewer charging
October 25, 2024 Read Full Article
Biofuels and Batteries Gain From the System Dynamics Behind the Research
by Tim Meehan (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) How Modeling Feedback Loops Informs Analysis and Decisions Across Decarbonization Technologies -- "When you look at renewable energy, not everything is linear," said Swaroop Atnoorkar, an analyst at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) National
October 16, 2024 Read Full Article
BMW CEO: Europe Must Cancel Petrol Engine Ban to Reduce Reliance on China
by by Victoria Waldersee and Gilles Gillaume (Reuters) Europe must cancel its plan to ban new fossil fuel-emitting cars from 2035 to reduce reliance on China's battery supply chain and play to its technological strengths, BMW's (BMWG.DE), chief executive said on Tuesday. Oliver
October 16, 2024 Read Full Article
Gadkari Reviews Industry’s Preparedness for Launch of Ethanol and Flex Fuel Vehicles
by Subhash Narayan (Mint) The minister asked automobile manufacturers to look into ways of making ethanol and flex fuels more widely acceptable. -- Minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari has asked automobile manufacturers to look into ways of making ethanol
October 15, 2024 Read Full Article
Mobility: Time for a Hamiltonian Moment
by Philippe Marchand (Transportation Energy Strategies) ... Hybrids as a Pragmatic Option -- What are some of the CEOs of global, non-Chinese car manufacturers (and even some Chinese-owned ones) saying today? They’re arguing that customers are not yet ready to fully transition
October 03, 2024 Read Full Article
Svitzer Makes Battery-Methanol Newbuild Debut
(Splash 247.com) Danish towage operator Svitzer has placed an order for what it says is the world’s first battery-methanol tug. The Copenhagen-based group with more than 450 vessels has contracted the Turkish shipyard Uzmar to build the unit, which will feature a
September 22, 2024 Read Full Article
RFA, Other Petitioners File Initial Brief in Lawsuit Over EPA’s Tailpipe Standards
(Renewable Fuels Association) In a detailed brief submitted late Friday to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, the Renewable Fuels Association and 55 other parties argued that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency unlawfully exceeded its statutory authority and acted arbitrarily and capriciously by
September 10, 2024 Read Full Article
GM to Launch Its First Ethanol-Capable Hybrid-Flex Vehicles in Brazil
by Alberto Alerigi Jr. and by Andre Romani (Reuters) General Motors (GM.N) said on Wednesday that it would begin producing its first-ever hybrid-flex vehicles that can run on 100% ethanol or gasoline alongside their batteries in Brazil. Rival automakers Stellantis (STLAM.MI) and Honda (7267.T) have also announced plans this year
September 05, 2024 Read Full Article
Senate Republicans Target EVs’ ‘Zero-Emission’ Label: The Lawmakers Asked the Federal Trade Commission for New Electric Vehicle Marketing Standards.
by Andres Picon (Politico Pro Greenwire) Republican lawmakers are urging federal regulators to crack down on automakers’ claims that electric vehicles are “zero-emission vehicles.” In a letter to Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan this week, four GOP senators pointed to EVs’ life-cycle emissions
August 29, 2024 Read Full Article
Harris Campaign Says Dem Nominee 'Does Not Support' Electric Vehicle Mandate in Attempt to Flip the Script
by Sarah Rumpf-Whitten , Emma Colton (Fox Business) ... In a "fact check" email, Harris campaign rapid response director Ammar Moussa wrote that Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, would "undoubtedly lie" about things, like that "Harris wants to force every American to own
August 28, 2024 Read Full Article
Let's Turn Down the Heat on ICE vs. EV
by Allen Schaeffer (Engine Technology Forum) ... Gas and diesel internal combustion engine (ICE) car and pickup truck owners are sometimes shocked at the tone and temperament of some EV advocates. Spend just a few minutes in an online chat about
August 20, 2024 Read Full Article
EPA Virtually Mandates Electric Vehicles: Heavy- and Light- Duty EPA Carbon Standards Face Fierce Push Back.
by Keith Reid (Fuels Market News) ... If reducing carbon is truly the goal, meeting that goal should focus on the required end results and not mandating the specific approach to get to that point. However, the EPA emissions standards, announced
August 16, 2024 Read Full Article
Ernst Holds Roundtable to Discuss EV Mandate
by Mark Dorenkamp (Brownfield Ag News) A Midwestern U.S. Senator recently held a roundtable to discuss electric vehicle mandates with stakeholders that included ag and biofuel leaders. Iowa Republican Joni Ernst tells Brownfield last Saturday’s meeting in Dubuque featured representatives from the
August 12, 2024 Read Full Article
Policy Insights -- Declaring Energy Independence
by Robin Vercruse (Low Carbon Fuels Coalition) ... Declarations of “energy independence” usually provide more heat than light (pun very much intended). The often heated discussion on the topic usually obscures the essential distinction between energy resources and their end use. From
July 15, 2024 Read Full Article
Are You Plugging in or Filling Up for Your Summer Road Trip? Yes!
by Allen Schaeffer (Engine Technology Forum) ... The bold predictions for EV market success were perhaps too bold, with many assumptions about consumers and infrastructure blind to some of the uncertainties that have accelerated over the last year. McKinsey’s 2024 Mobility Consumer
July 11, 2024 Read Full Article
Stellantis to Expand Hybrid Vehicle Line to Meet Growing Demand
(Reuters) Stellantis (STLAM.MI) said on Tuesday it would expand its line of affordable hybrid vehicles to 36 models in Europe by 2026, to meet growing demand for this engine type, an alternative to petrol-fuelled cars and electric vehicles. The American-French-Italian automaker, created from
July 09, 2024 Read Full Article
Fire, Aim, Ready -- There Is Skepticism whether the U.S. Will Be Ready or if Consumers even Want EVs
by Allen Schaeffer (Engine Technology Forum/Biobased Diesel Daily) New “technology-neutral” federal regulations are designed to drive automakers toward electric vehicles, but there is skepticism whether the U.S. will be ready or if consumers even want this. Image: Rich Kassel, AJW Inc. Fire, aim,
July 08, 2024 Read Full Article
Volvo Cars to Introduce Ethanol-Compatible Vehicles in India
(ChiniMandi) Volvo Cars would introduce vehicles compatible with ethanol-blended fuels in India, aligning with the global trend of switching over to alternative fuels. This action is in line with Volvo’s overarching sustainability objectives, which include reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and
July 08, 2024 Read Full Article
Ethanol Producers, Farmers Sue EPA over Tailpipe Rule
by David Murray (High Plains Journal) The Renewable Fuels Association and National Farmers Union filed a lawsuit June 17 in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s recently finalized light- and medium-duty vehicle emissions standards. RFA and NFU
July 08, 2024 Read Full Article
Overreliance on EV’s Generate Power Grid Concerns
by Mark Dorenkamp (Brownfield Ag News) There are concerns a reliance on electric vehicles to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector could compromise the U.S. power grid. Scott Richman with the Renewable Fuels Association says grids are already struggling and
July 03, 2024 Read Full Article
New Studies: Low Carbon Fuels, FFVs More Effective at Reducing GHG Emissions than De Facto EV Mandates
(Renewable Fuels Association) Increased use of lower-carbon liquid fuels in light-duty vehicles would lead to larger and faster reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than EPA’s recently finalized EV-forcing tailpipe emissions standards, according to a new study commissioned by the RFA and executed
June 26, 2024 Read Full Article
America’s Truck and Bus Fleets Continue Turnover to Advanced Generation of Near-zero Emission Internal Combustion Engines
(Engine Technology Forum) Gasoline, diesel, natural gas and propane continue to be the primary fuel and technology choices for America’s commercial trucks, transit and school buses, with the population of advanced technology near-zero emissions diesels increasing 4% over 2022, according to
June 25, 2024 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to the State of Renewable Diesel and DME
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week on ABLC CONNECT, we networked and exchanged information about the world of Renewable Diesel and rDME, and as part of the proceedings, we had the State of Renewable Diesel and rDME presentation. The slides
June 25, 2024 Read Full Article
Senator Ricketts’ Weekly Column: Celebrating Nebraska Biofuels
by Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) (Nebraska's Best Country) June marks the start of a busy summer driving season. This year, many American families are feeling the pain of prices at the pump. Since Joe Biden took office, gas prices have risen
June 24, 2024 Read Full Article
Ohio Ethanol Producers Not Concerned about EVs Intruding on Their Industry
by Rick Adamczak (The Daily Reporter) “EVs are not taking away our business and, quite frankly, they’re not taking away business from gas producers,” said Brad Moffitt, ethanol specialist at Ohio Corn & Wheat. “Liquid fuels are not going to go
June 20, 2024 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to EVs…How Much of a Threat to Biofuels?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In this presentation, Raymond James Sr VP Pavel robin returns to the ABLC stage to share his perspective on the threat to biofuels posed by electrification of the fleet — or is the threat that big
June 19, 2024 Read Full Article
API, Truckers and Agriculture Organizations File Lawsuit to Stop EPA’s Emissions Rule for New Heavy-Duty Vehicles
(Aamerican Petroleum Institute) The American Petroleum Institute (API) today filed a lawsuit in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) heavy-duty (HD) vehicle emissions standards for model years (MY) 2027-2032. “Today, we are standing up for consumers who
June 18, 2024 Read Full Article
Best of Both Worlds: Would Hybrid Flex-Fuel Vehicles Have More of an Advantage than Fully Electric Cars?
(RFD TV) As we continue to see a push for electric vehicles, a new study is underscoring the economic and environmental benefits of hybrid flex-fuel vehicles and their distinct advantages over full EVs Robert White with the Renewable Fuels Association spoke with
June 17, 2024 Read Full Article
Electric Vehicles Emerge as Flashpoint in 2024 Election
by Liz Goodwin (Washington Post) But now, facing a tough reelection climate in November, some Senate Democrats who are fighting for their political lives in red states are distancing themselves from aspects of President Biden’s EV policies as Republicans go on
June 17, 2024 Read Full Article
Biden’s Ill-Conceived EV Mandate Will Harm Drivers, Cause Blackouts
by Congressman Dan Musser (R-PA 9th) (The Hill) ... Unfortunately, the Biden Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recent announcement of an effective ban on new gas cars for half the driving population does not strike the appropriate balance of both protecting our environment and
June 14, 2024 Read Full Article
Biden’s Ill-Conceived EV Mandate Will Harm Drivers, Cause Blackouts
by Congressman Dan Musser (R-PA 9th) (The Hill) ... Unfortunately, the Biden Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recent announcement of an effective ban on new gas cars for half the driving population does not strike the appropriate balance of both protecting our environment and
June 14, 2024 Read Full Article
Largest US Oil Trade Group Sues to Block Biden's EV Push
by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The nation's largest oil trade group, which includes Exxon Mobil (XOM.N) and Chevron (CVX.N), filed a federal lawsuit on Thursday seeking to block the Biden administration's efforts to reduce planet-warming emissions from cars and light trucks and encourage electric vehicle manufacturing,
June 13, 2024 Read Full Article
Did Gasoline Win the European Election?
by Arianna Skibell (Politico's Power Switch) The stunning results from the European election hammered home one reality for leaders on both sides of the Atlantic: People don’t like you messing with their cars. The EU’s plan to ban the sale of internal-combustion-engine vehicles by
June 12, 2024 Read Full Article
Barrasso, Senate Republicans Introduce Bill to Remedy DOE’s Flawed Efficiency Calculations for Electric Cars
(U.S. Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources) U.S. Senator John Barrasso, ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (ENR), and U.S. Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Mike Lee (R-UT), John Hoeven (R-ND), Jim Risch (R-ID), and Bill
June 12, 2024 Read Full Article
Growth Energy Calls New CAFE Standards A Missed Opportunity
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on June 7 issued a final rule setting new corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards. Growth Energy said the agency has again missed the opportunity
June 11, 2024 Read Full Article
New Study Shows Plug-in Hybrid Flex Fuel Vehicle Has Major Economic, Climate Advantages Over Battery EVs
(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association today released a study documenting the economic and environmental benefits of the world’s first plug-in electric hybrid flex fuel vehicle (PHEFFV). After rigorous emissions testing, lifecycle greenhouse gas analysis, and nearly 34,000 miles of real-world driving,
June 11, 2024 Read Full Article
Carbon-Neutral Fuel: New Study Shows 100% Renewable Superethanol-E85 Could Replace Fossil Fuels
(ePURE) 100% renewable Superethanol-E85 could act as an alternative to fossil fuels to cut back on CO2 emissions in road transport as well as emissions of regulated pollutants -- In the run-up to the European elections in which the environment is a
May 31, 2024 Read Full Article
Toyota Shows ‘An Engine Reborn’ with Green Fuel Despite Global Push for Battery Electric Cars
by Yuri Kageyama (Associated Press) “An engine reborn.” That’s how Japanese automaker Toyota introduced plans to cast a futuristic spin on the traditional internal combustion engine. During a three-hour presentation at a Tokyo hall Tuesday, the car manufacturer giant announced it would offer
May 29, 2024 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to Renewable Diesel as a Catalyst for Decarbonization
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Jeffrey Short of the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) presented these slides on the comparative costs, advantages and disadvantages of achieving low carbon goals for trucking via renewable diesel conversion vs electrification. READ MORE
May 22, 2024 Read Full Article
Trump’s EPA Chief Thinks Biden’s Climate Rules Are Doomed. But Will Biden’s Dollars Survive?
by Josh Siegel (Politico) ... Former Environmental Protection Agency chief Andrew Wheeler told the POLITICO Energy podcast that he sees key pieces of Biden’s green policies falling quickly if former President Donald Trump wins in November: Courts will strike down Biden’s aggressive pollution
May 20, 2024 Read Full Article
Caterpillar, Vale Testing Electric and Ethanol-Powered Trucks
(Canadian Mining) Caterpillar and Vale have agreed to test battery electric haul trucks and energy transfer systems, s well as conduct studies on ethanol-powered trucks. The goal is to help Vale reduce its carbon emissions by 33% by 2030 and reach zero net emissions
May 01, 2024 Read Full Article
30 House Republicans Take Action to Overturn Biden's Gas Car Crackdown
by Thomas Catenacci (Fox News/Yahoo!) A group of more than 30 House Republicans is introducing a resolution Friday that would overturn President Biden's actions targeting gas-powered vehicles as part of his climate push. The nearly three dozen GOP lawmakers, led by Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga.,
April 29, 2024 Read Full Article
New ATRI Research Evaluates Renewable Diesel as an Alternative Pathway to Decarbonization
(American Transportation Research Institute/PR Newswire) The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) today released a new report that analyzes the benefits of employing renewable diesel (RD) as an alternative to battery electric vehicle (BEV) trucks. This analysis is a follow-up to findings from
April 24, 2024 Read Full Article
Garamendi, King Introduce Biomass for Transportation Fuel Act
(Office of Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA 8th)) Supports renewable electricity from forest byproducts to charge electric vehicles -- Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA) and Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-ME) introduced the "Biomass for Transportation Fuel Act” (H.R.7609), with U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
April 24, 2024 Read Full Article
CARB’s In-Use Locomotive Regulation Rule Will Hurt the American Economy Public Comment Deadline April 22, 2024
(Association of American Railroads) Policy Position: Congress should call on EPA to prevent CARB from moving forward with its new framework. EPA should instead ensure locomotive emissions regulations move forward in a responsible, measured fashion that takes into full account technology readiness,
April 16, 2024 Read Full Article
More to Do on Methane
by Patrick Serfass and Adam Comora (American Biogas Council/OPAL Fuels/Biofuels Digest) A recent study released by the journal Science supported by research conducted by Carbon Mapper and the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory revealed that methane emissions from landfills are greater than previously
April 15, 2024 Read Full Article
Attorney General Bird Leads 13-State Lawsuit to Pull the Plug on Biden Electric Vehicle Handout and Defend Ethanol
(Office of Iowa Attorney General) Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird today led a 13-state coalition in a lawsuit to pull the plug on Biden’s electric vehicle handout and defend ethanol. -- In Biden’s most recent attack in the war on gas vehicles, he
April 12, 2024 Read Full Article
What Other Brands Can Learn From Stellantis' Combustion Investment
by Gerhard Horn (Car Buzz) Stellantis announced that it will be investing $6 billion to keep internal combustion alive for cars like the Dodge Charger. -- Earlier this year, Stellantis announced that it would be investing $6 billion to keep internal combustion alive.
April 10, 2024 Read Full Article
Dead Wrong About E85
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) ... So, what is driving the rebirth of E85 flex fuel? The fuel’s resurgence is likely resulting from two compelling consumer benefits: lower carbon emissions and lower prices. Flex fuels offer substantial reductions in greenhouse gas
April 10, 2024 Read Full Article
Ethanol Industry on EVs: The Infrastructure Isn’t There and Consumers Aren’t All In
by Currey McCullough (RFD TV) The ethanol industry is raising concerns over the Biden Administration’s adamant approach for an all-electric vehicle fleet, saying it is on a collision course with reality. As policymakers and industry leaders navigate this shifting landscape, voices from the
April 09, 2024 Read Full Article
Ramstad: The Debate over Ethanol's Future Stalls Push for Less-Harmful Gasoline in Minnesota
by Evan Ramstad (Star Tribune) Environmentalists who favored a low-carbon fuel standard in the past now think its time has gone. -- In mid-February, a dozen environmental groups wrote a letter to Minnesota legislators urging them not to adopt a low-carbon fuel
April 08, 2024 Read Full Article
EV Policy on Collision Course with Reality
by Jesse Allen (American Ag Network) The ethanol industry says the Biden Administration’s push for an all-electric vehicle fleet is on a collision course with reality. The Renewable Fuels Association says at some point tax policies, infrastructure shortcomings, and tough new
April 08, 2024 Read Full Article
Hybrids vs EVs: Why Hybrids Are Surging as EV Sales Slow
by John Matarese (Scripps News) Electric vehicles have received all the hype in recent years, but now sales are slowing as hybrids appear to be en vogue. -- ... But as the spring 2024 car buying season begins, hybrids that use gas and
April 03, 2024 Read Full Article
Biden’s EPA Can Justify His New EV Rules Only by Cooking the Books
Benjamin Zycher (American Enterprise Institute/The Hill) Before federal regulations are implemented, they must be justified with an extensive analysis of costs and effects. The new Environmental Protection Agency rule forcing a massive shift toward electric vehicles is no exception. Weighing in at 1,181
April 03, 2024 Read Full Article
The Electrifying End to Life on Earth
by Peter Brown (Biofuels Digest) In pursuit of our salvation from climate change we are now engaged in a deliberate effort that will dramatically increase the very polluting toxins that are causing that change. Even more ironically, we will use our
April 01, 2024 Read Full Article
New EPA Emissions Rule for Semi-Trucks: EPA Rolls Out World's Toughest Emission Standards for Heavy-Duty Trucks
by Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer) ... EPA announced new, final national emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles model years 2027 through 2032. Officials stated the new rule would avoid 1 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions while reducing air pollution for
March 29, 2024 Read Full Article
8 States Are Planning to BAN the Sale of Gas-Powered Cars Entirely - after Biden Unveiled Ambitious Plans to Phase Them out by 2032
by Tilly Armstrong (Daily Mail) California was the first state to adopt the plan to ban sales of gas cars by 2035; Electric vehicles made up 7.6 percent of new car sales in the US last year; READ MORE: What does
March 26, 2024 Read Full Article
Biden-Harris Administration Finalizes Strongest-Ever Pollution Standards for Cars that Position U.S. Companies and Workers to Lead the Clean Vehicle Future, Protect Public Health, Address the Climate Crisis, Save Drivers Money
(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) Final standards will expand consumer choice in clean vehicles and build on historic progress in U.S. auto manufacturing under President Biden’s Investing in America agenda -- Today, March 20, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced final national pollution
March 20, 2024 Read Full Article
Biden Eases EV Rule but Keeps Heat on Automakers
by Mike Lee (E&E News) The Biden administration released one of several coming car regulations Tuesday, a clean vehicle formula designed to push automakers to build more fuel-efficient or electric vehicles. The Department of Energy softened its “petroleum equivalency factor” after complaints
March 20, 2024 Read Full Article
The Family Vacation, Powered by Ethanol & Electricity
by Robert White (Renewable Fuels Association) ... Needless to say, these trips still get plenty of laughs and produced memories I will never forget. Now with a 7-year-old daughter, I am trying to make those memories with her, knowing that
March 19, 2024 Read Full Article
House Republicans Set Vote on DC’s Electric Car ‘Mandate’
by Kelsey Brugger (E&E News) The Oversight and Accountability Committee will vote this week to strike down the District’s stringent tailpipe emissions rulemaking. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) is sponsoring legislation against Washington following California's tailpipe standards, House Republicans have a new target
March 06, 2024 Read Full Article
Minnesota Report Cautions against Rush to EV Transition
by Noël Fletcher (Transport Topics) Trucking Fleets Advised to Go Slow in EV Equipment Investments -- State lawmakers rushing to jump on the battery-electric vehicle bandwagon for longhaul and shorthaul regional trucks will create a web of interconnected operational roadblocks and
March 01, 2024 Read Full Article
RFA’s Cooper: 2024 Will Be “Pivotal and Consequential Year” for U.S. Ethanol Industry
(Renewable Fuels Association) At the National Ethanol Conference today (February 20, 2024) in San Diego, Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper told nearly 1,000 attendees that 2024 will be “one of the most pivotal and consequential years the ethanol
February 21, 2024 Read Full Article
Don’t Believe the EV Hype—For Ethanol, Stay the Course
by Doug Durante (Clean Fuels Development Coalition/South Dakota Farmers Union) Among the issues that have put a scare into the ethanol industry over the past few years, the threat of electric vehicles has received considerable attention. While threats to the RFS,
February 19, 2024 Read Full Article
Biden Administration Weighs Slowing the Shift to Electric Vehicles
by Maxine Joselow (Washington Post) The Environmental Protection Agency is considering relaxing one of its most significant climate change rules — tailpipe emissions limits for cars and trucks — by giving automakers more time to boost sales of electric vehicles, according
February 19, 2024 Read Full Article
What’s behind the Republican Hatred of EVs?
by Kelsey Brugger, Rebekah Alvey (E&E Daily) ... At a recent auto show, Rep. Roger Williams (R-Texas), the Small Business Committee chair, confidently predicted: “EVs won’t exist in a few years.” Hybrids were more viable, argued Williams, the owner of a car
February 14, 2024 Read Full Article
Dissent Emerges in Europe over Unrealistic Political Favoritism Given to EVs, Hydrogen in Heavy-Duty Vehicle CO2 Standards
by Ron Kotrba (Biobased Diesel Daily) The European Waste-based & Advanced Biofuels Association, representing 55-plus stakeholders from the EU waste-based and advanced biodiesel supply chain, noted in early February that it has become apparent that several member states including Germany are
February 13, 2024 Read Full Article
AFPM Launches Campaign on EV Rules
by Tanya Snyder (Politico's Weekly Transportation) ... The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers is launching a $7 million campaign today in key battleground states bashing the Biden administration’s efforts to push electric vehicle adoption. AFPM plans to run the ads in Michigan, Wisconsin,
February 12, 2024 Read Full Article
Major New Fuels Could Make Hybrids 'Just as Climate-Friendly as Electric Vehicles' in Huge Breakthrough
by Felix Reeves (GB News) The fuel could mean drivers can skip the long waiting times for electric vehicles -- Major new fuels could play an “important role” in the future of reducing car emissions across its entire life cycle by using
February 12, 2024 Read Full Article
EVs or Ethanol? Midwest Eyes Deep CO2 Cuts in Transportation.
by Jeffrey Tomich (E&E News Energywire) Midwest states are weighing major changes in transportation policy that could shift the region's emissions. -- After recently enacting laws requiring 100 percent carbon-free power, Midwest blue states are eyeing tailpipe emissions. In Minnesota, a state-appointed working
February 12, 2024 Read Full Article
US Counties Are Blocking the Future of Renewable Energy: These Maps, Graphics Show How
by Elizabeth Weise, Stephen J. Beard, Suhail Bhat, Ramon Padilla, Carlie Procell, Karina Zaiets (USA TODAY) Across America, local bans, moratoriums and construction impediments are blocking wind and solar energy with increasing levels of red tape. ... The U.S. has set a goal
February 11, 2024 Read Full Article
Fast Car
by Allen Schaeffer (Engine Technology Forum) ... Fast Car proves that classics and the future remaking of them don't have to be mutually exclusive, even if they look and sound a bit different. And that is a good lesson for looking
February 08, 2024 Read Full Article
BorgWarner, Cummins, Eaton, Ford to EPA: It’s Time to Finalize GHG Phase 3
by Deborah Lockridge (Heavy Duty TruckingInfo) BorgWarner, Cummins, Eaton and Ford support EPA's GHG Phase 3 emissions proposal for heavy-duty trucks. -- What’s the best way to push heavy-duty vehicle emissions toward zero? While major truck and engine makers all say they
February 07, 2024 Read Full Article
Stopping Biden’s Radical Forced EV Transition
(U.S. House of Representatives Energy & Commerce Committee) Americans Should Choose the Car They Drive -- President Biden and Democrats are leading a radical rush-to-green agenda that takes away people’s vehicle choice and forces Americans to drive electric vehicles. Electric vehicles are
February 05, 2024 Read Full Article
Circular Economy, Energy and the Environment
by Jerry Murphy (MaREAI/Science in Society) MaREI Director Professor Jerry Murphy presented a lecture in the Science in Society Public Lecture Series entitled “Circular Economy, Energy and the Environment” on Thursday 1st February. In this lecture, Prof Murphy explained a series of
February 05, 2024 Read Full Article
How Governments Can Bring Low-Emission Trucks to Our Roads – and Fast
(International Transport Forum) Heavy diesel trucks emit nearly three-quarters of all CO2 from freight transport. They are also among the most difficult vehicle types to power with sustainable fuels. This report reviews which emerging technologies show the most promise to drastically
February 01, 2024 Read Full Article
Can Second-Generation Ethanol Production Help Decarbonize the World?
by Brian Kenny (Cold Call/Harvard Business Review) How Brazil’s green energy champion, Raízen, is expanding the market for second-generation ethanol and other sugar-cane waste biofuels. -- Raízen, a bioenergy company headquartered in São Paulo, is Brazil’s leader in sugar and ethanol
January 31, 2024 Read Full Article
GM’s ‘All-in’ Electric Future Now Includes Gasoline
by David Ferris (Politico Pro Energywire) The company's latest hybrid plan illustrates how tough it is for traditional automakers to navigate a transition to electric vehicles. -- General Motors introduced the plug-in hybrid car to America. Then the automaker killed it and
January 31, 2024 Read Full Article
The Risks of Betting on Biofuels with Flex-Fuel Plug-in Hybrid Cars in Brazil
by André Cieplinski (International Council on Clean Transportation) As the world’s largest vehicle markets move toward electric vehicles to decarbonize road transportation, many legacy automakers support doubling down on existing efforts to use biofuels in Brazil, and they’re focusing on using them in plug-in
January 30, 2024 Read Full Article
Will Biden's EV Push Cost Him Come Election Time?
by James Osborne (Houston Chronicle) Sitting on stage at the Washington Auto Show last week surrounded by the latest electric offerings from Tesla and Rolls-Royce, Rep. Roger Williams, a North Texas Republican whose family had sold cars for three generations, shook his
January 22, 2024 Read Full Article
CFDC Comments on DOE EV Proposal that Could Favor China
(Clean Fuels Development Coalition) : The Clean Fuels Development Coalition (CFDC) submitted comments last week on the Department of Energy’s recent proposed guidance defining “foreign entity of concern” (FEOC), urging the agency to close loopholes that would allow electric vehicle batteries
January 18, 2024 Read Full Article
RFA Spotlights World’s First Plug -In Hybrid Electric Flex Fuel Vehicle at 2024 DC Auto Show
(Renewable Fuels Association) Vehicle has surpassed 27,000 miles, showcasing its technology platform as a viable alternative solution to reducing carbon output in passenger vehicles with tangible benefits to consumers, including lower costs and lower emissions. The Renewable Fuels Association is showcasing the
January 17, 2024 Read Full Article
Green Ammonia Could Decarbonize 60% of Global Shipping When Offered at Just 10 Regional Fuel Ports
(IOP Publishing) A study published today in IOP Publishing’s journal Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability has found that green ammonia could be used to fulfil the fuel demands of over 60% of global shipping by targeting just the top 10 regional fuel ports. Researchers
January 11, 2024 Read Full Article
Standard Engines to Endure in Brazil Amid EV Growth
by Laura Guedes and Gabrielle Moreira (Argus Media) ... With a mature and structured biofuel market, the country is not likely to move away from alternatives linked to ethanol and biodiesel anytime soon, extending flex options and mixtures with fossil
December 22, 2023 Read Full Article
INSIGHT: 16 US States May Restrict Sale of Combustion-Based Autos
by Al Greenwood (Independent Commodity Interlligence Services) Several US states could adopt restrictions on the sale of light vehicles that rely primarily on internal combustion engines (ICE), which would lower demand for liquid fuels while increasing demand for plastics and chemicals
October 27, 2023 Read Full Article
Toyota Chairman Says People Are Finally Seeing the Reality about EVs
by River Davis (Wall Street Journal) Akio Toyoda’s comments come amid cooling U.S. demand and a price war with China -- Toyota Motor Chairman Akio Toyoda, when asked about electric-vehicle challenges including a recent lull in U.S. demand, said the industry was coming to
October 26, 2023 Read Full Article
Four Reasons the EU Needs to Rethink Its Approach to Biofuels
by David Carpintero (ePURE/Politico) Europe’s newly revised Renewable Energy Directive confirms the sustainability of biofuels such as renewable ethanol, but other EU legislation continues to ignore their strategic importance. It’s time for a new approach. ... Consider the recent declaration by the G7 group
October 23, 2023 Read Full Article
Electric Vehicles Face Bumpy Road to the Back 40
by Steve Cubbage (AgWeb) There is one place in America where electric vehicles are glaringly absent — the back 40. Today, electric tractors and other farming equipment are hard to find on showroom floors, let alone in the field. The outside pressure
October 23, 2023 Read Full Article
Manchin, Colleagues Introduce Legislation Pushing Back on Biden Admin's Electric Vehicle Mandate
(Office of Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) and 28 of his Senate colleagues introduced the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales (CARS) Act to counter the Biden Administration’s radical environmental agenda and executive overreach by preventing the implementation of a
October 20, 2023 Read Full Article
Do EVs Reduce NOx or PM Emissions More than Combustion Engine Vehicles? The Answer May Surprise You.
by Gary Yowell (Stillwater Associates) From the 1990s to the present day, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have maintained that EVs have lower nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions than internal
October 19, 2023 Read Full Article
US Supreme Court Won't Hear Minnesota 'Clean Car' Challenge
by Scott McClallen (The Center Square/Crow River Media) The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an auto group's challenge of Minnesota adopting "clean car rules" that will require automakers to introduce more low-emission vehicles. Minnesota will be the first Midwest state to
October 18, 2023 Read Full Article
Here Comes the EV Backlash
by Arianna Skibell (Politico's Power Switch) The battle against electric cars is turning into a campaign issue for conservative politicians on both sides of the Atlantic, a development that threatens to neuter the climate benefits of moving away from gasoline. Some European
October 03, 2023 Read Full Article
Fischer Introduces “Stop EV Freeloading Act” to Support Infrastructure Investments, Promote Fairness
(Office of Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE)) U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, recently led U.S. Senators Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) in introducing the Stop EV Freeloading Act. The legislation would
September 26, 2023 Read Full Article
Ampol Reveals Plans to Take Biodiesel on the Road
by Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson (The West Australian/Australian Associated Press) Australia's biggest petrol retailer has revealed plans to produce renewable diesel for heavy trucks as part of a two-month trial. ... The news comes one month after Ampol announced plans to build hydrogen refuelling stations
September 25, 2023 Read Full Article
Renault to Maintain Mixed Ethanol Combustion Engines in Brazil
by Alberto Alerigi Jr. and Carolina Pulice (Reuters) Renault (RENA.PA) will maintain production of ethanol-fueled combustion vehicles in Brazil, where nine in 10 cars are equipped to run on a mixture of gasoline and the biofuel as fully electric vehicles (EVs) need more
September 25, 2023 Read Full Article
Fork in the Road for Trucks: Hydrogen or Batteries?
by Mike Lee (Politico Pro Climatewire) Truck makers are building both kinds of rigs as regulators and lawmakers throw the dice on the future of freight. -- Earlier this year, Volvo began testing its newest truck in one of the most extreme
September 25, 2023 Read Full Article
Feenstra: Combating President Biden’s Electric Vehicle Mandates -- President Biden Refuses to Accept the Facts. 95% of Cars on the Road Today Run on Liquid Fuel and Are Significantly More Affordable and Reliable than Electric Vehicles.
by Randy Feenstra (Congressman (R-IA 4th District)/The Iowa Torch) ... There is no clearer example of his executive overreach than his hasty and costly push to electrify every car and truck in the United States. At his direction, he has called on
September 22, 2023 Read Full Article
Some Countries Are Already Talking about Walking Back Fossil Fuel Car Bans
by Bradley Brownell (Jalopnik) Will anyone be ready for their own EV mandate deadlines? --- In the wake of the United Kingdom Prime Minister opening discussions on potentially delaying the country’s ban on the sale of new gas and diesel cars, we thought it might
September 22, 2023 Read Full Article
The UK Is Delaying the Switch to Electric Cars. Automakers Are Furious
by Hanna Ziady (CNN) The UK government said Wednesday it would delay a ban on the sale of new gas and diesel cars by five years, angering carmakers who warned the move would undermine the industry’s efforts to switch to electric vehicles. The delay
September 21, 2023 Read Full Article
It’s Time For Flex Fuel Fairness
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) In 2014, nine major auto manufacturers produced and sold more than 2.8 million flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs) capable of running on fuel with up to 85 percent ethanol (E85). In fact, one out of
September 21, 2023 Read Full Article
The Complex Path to Biofuel Sustainability
by Raamya Natarajan (The Hindu) Any strategy needs to be carefully examined in the context of the larger ecosystem to avoid negative consequences -- Until a few years ago, working on biofuels called for constant justification in the face of electric vehicles
September 15, 2023 Read Full Article
Converting Engines, and the E85 Narrative
by Luke Geiver (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Whether Tuomo Isokivijärvi is meeting with venture capitalists in Palo Alto, California, Finland or anywhere else in the world, he’s usually trying to explain how his company’s E85-based conversion kit technology applies to current and
September 14, 2023 Read Full Article
Mercedes-Benz: Europe Likely Won't Be Ready for All-Electric Sales by 2030
by Victoria Waldersee (Reuters) Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE) does not expect its sales in Europe to be all-electric by 2030 but will have its line-up ready, Chief Executive Ola Kaellenius said in an interview at the Munich car show. The premium carmaker has long said it
September 06, 2023 Read Full Article
Trump Vows to End ‘Madness’ of EV Push
by Lauren Sforza (The Hill) Former President Trump is vowing to end the “madness” of the Biden administration’s push for electric vehicles — a likely appeal to voters in the swing state of Michigan. In a pair of Truth Social posts Monday evening, Trump
September 06, 2023 Read Full Article
Sugar Body ISMA Seeks 5% GST on Flex-Fuel Vehicles in Line with EVs
(Press Trust of India/Business Standard) Sugar industry body ISMA on Monday sought GST rate of 5 per cent for vehicles using flex fuels, same as that on electric vehicles -- Sugar industry body ISMA on Monday sought GST rate of 5 per
August 30, 2023 Read Full Article
ACE, EFlexFuel Technology Demonstrate Benefits of Hybrid Electric Flex Fuel Vehicle
(American Coalition for Ethanol/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Two years after the public unveiling of the American Coalition for Ethanol Hybrid Electric Flex Fuel vehicle at its 2021 annual conference in Minneapolis, ACE demonstrated the project’s value to conference attendees at this
August 29, 2023 Read Full Article
National Energy Transition Roadmap: B30 Biodiesel Mandate for Heavy Vehicles in Malaysia by 2030
by Mick Chan (Paultan.org) The second phase of the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR) was launched today by prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, and the NETR has been revealed to cover a number of areas involving transport and mobility. Of these, the heavy
August 29, 2023 Read Full Article
US Hybrid Car Sales Will More than Triple in the Next 5 Years: Report
by James Gilboy (The Drive) Ford CEO Jim Farley thinks hybrid sales will actually more than quadruple over the same time period. ... EV uptake isn't meeting expectations, and momentum isn't expected to pick up again for at least a couple of
August 29, 2023 Read Full Article
U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts Highlights Flex Fuel Fairness Bill during Nebraska Event
by Jake Anderson and Alex McLoon (KETV) Sen. Pete Ricketts is shedding light on alternatives to gas other than battery electric vehicles with his Flex Fuel Fairness Act. The bipartisan bill gives credits to automakers for producing vehicles that reduce carbon output. "One
August 29, 2023 Read Full Article
MSU Researchers Link Auto and Dairy Industries to Explore Sustainable Climate Solutions
by Jack Falinski (Michigan State University) Renewable electrical energy produced from anaerobic digesters could drive EV charging stations on dairy farms -- One of the next climate change solutions might be found at your local dairy farm. A team of MSU researchers is studying
August 09, 2023 Read Full Article
EPA Is Ignoring the Glaring Problem with Dirty Electric Vehicles
by Benjamin Zycher (American Enterprise Institute/The Hill) The Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) has launched a new regulatory effort to force a massive transportation shift to electric vehicles (EVs) with its proposed “multi-pollutant emissions standards” for light- and medium-duty vehicles beginning with model
August 08, 2023 Read Full Article
The EPA Pushes Electric Cars, but They Won't Be a Majority for Years
(Scripps News/ABC10News) Even with tighter proposed emission standards and a broad push for EVs, most cars on U.S. roads will still be gasoline-powered in 2030. -- ... But new analysis suggests it's not likely to happen as quickly as expected — combustion engines
August 08, 2023 Read Full Article
The EPA’s Ambitious Plan to Cut Auto Emissions to Slow Climate Change Runs into Skepticism
by Tom Krisher (Associated Press) The U.S. government’s most ambitious plan ever to slash planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from passenger vehicles faces skepticism both about how realistic it is and whether it goes far enough. The Environmental Protection Agency in April announced
August 07, 2023 Read Full Article
From Waste to Wheels: Harnessing the Power of Biogas for Electric Vehicles
(Bioenergy Insight) Biogas and electric vehicles (EVs) should be crossing paths, rather than crossing wires. Callum Russell, EV expert and owner of Charging at Home, looks at the crossover potential. As global efforts continue to decarbonise and transition towards sustainable energy, the
August 02, 2023 Read Full Article
Ethanol Blog: Senate Bill Would Open Door Wider for Flexible-Fuel Vehicles in Emissions Reductions
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate on Monday would provide new incentives for automakers to produce more flexible-fuel vehicles, which are vehicles that can burn any blend of ethanol up to E85. The Flex Fuel
August 01, 2023 Read Full Article
Opinion: Ethanol Is the Solution to Transportation Problems – Inside Sources
by Larry Elder (Inside Sources/Prescott eNews) ... The Biden administration says electric vehicles are a solution to decarbonizing the transportation sector while also making driving more affordable. However, its “electric vehicle revolution” operates in an alternate reality where billions of dollars
July 31, 2023 Read Full Article
Biden Administration Rejects GM's Warning that US Emissions Rules Will Be Costly
by David Shepardson (Reuters) General Motors (GM.N) warned the Biden administration's planned changes to vehicle emissions rules could cost the auto industry hundreds of billions of dollars in penalties by 2031, which the Biden administration said on Thursday was wrong. GM executive David Strickland
July 31, 2023 Read Full Article
Dr. Joyce’s Legislation to Stop California’s Gas-Powered Vehicle Ban Advances to House Floor
(Office of John Joyce (R-PA 13)) Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), announced that his legislation, H.R. 1435, the Preserving Choice for Vehicle Purchases Act, was passed by the Energy and Commerce Committee and will next be considered by the entire U.S.
July 31, 2023 Read Full Article
The False Narrative on Clean Vehicles
by Brian Werner (Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) One of the most overwrought narratives in energy and transportation policy today is the idea that liquid biofuels and Electric Vehicles (EVs) are battling “American Gladiator-style” in a zero-sum game over the future of the
July 28, 2023 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK -- Medora Lee
In 2023, fewer people (38%) said they believe EVs are better for the environment than gas vehicles, than in 2022 (46%). Meanwhile, the number of people who said gas vehicles were better for the environment jumped to 13% in 2023,
July 28, 2023 Read Full Article
Why Are Americans Less Interested in Owning an EV? Cost and Charging Still Play a Part.
by Medora Lee (USA Today) ... Resistance to electric vehicles, or EVs, is becoming more entrenched for some consumers, with lower-income consumers still seeing EVs as out of reach, car buying platform Autolist said. In a survey it fielded between February and July
July 28, 2023 Read Full Article
Biden Set to Tighten Fuel-Efficiency Standards for Automakers
by Ari Natter, and David Welch (Bloomberg) The Biden administration is poised to issue a proposal as early as Friday ordering automakers to increase the average fuel economy of their vehicles, according to people familiar with the matter. The proposed rule, expected
July 28, 2023 Read Full Article
Report: Strong Clean Vehicle Standards Can Deliver $44 Billion in Health, Economic and Climate Benefits to New Mexicans
(Natural Resources Defense Council) New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham recently announced bold action which will give New Mexicans more electric car and truck options in the coming years, and a new report shows the state can deliver the most health,
July 24, 2023 Read Full Article
World's First Near-Zero Carbon Emission Air & Water Vacuum Excavator Decarbonizing Heavy-Duty Diesel Engines with B100
(Optimus Technologies) Optimus Technologies, a diesel engine decarbonization company focused on the largest and most challenging sectors of the transportation industry, announced today that DC Water (District of Columbia Water Authority) recently took delivery of their first off-the-assembly-line Optimus Technologies/B100 powered vehicle
July 24, 2023 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2023 Multi-Slide Guide to Megatrends Driving Low Carbon Intensity Developments
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Due Diligence Wolfpack member Steve Slome of NexantECA presented these slides at ABLC 2023 on Renewable Power, Hydrogen, Methanol, Ammonia, and Carbon Capture; including the Overlap Between Sustainability and Digitalization: Smart Meters with Mass Balance, Electrification,
July 24, 2023 Read Full Article
Plugging in an FFV? The Best of Both Worlds
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) Earlier this year, the Renewable Fuels Association unveiled our 2022 Ford Escape plug-in hybrid electric flex-fuel vehicle—the first of its kind anywhere in the world. While automakers have previously combined “mild hybrid” technology with flex-fuel
July 22, 2023 Read Full Article
Biden Meets Privately with Auto Workers’ Union President
by Zack Colman and Holly Otterbein (Politico) President Joe Biden and United Auto Workers leader Shawn Fain met Wednesday at the White House, a union official and a White House aide told POLITICO, as labor contract discussions are beginning between the
July 20, 2023 Read Full Article
Energy, Environment, Carbon, Climate, Renewables, EVs….EPA has a Rubiks Cube on their Hands They Don’t Know How to Master.
by Doug Durante (Clean Fuels Development Coalition/Biofuels Digest) The final “set” rule for the volume obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard released recently has sent the biofuel world into a tizzy and once again reveals the Administration’s misguided obsession with EVs
July 17, 2023 Read Full Article
Ethanol Advocates: EPA Didn't Consider Other Fuels to Cut Tailpipe Emissions in Cars
by Rebecca Thiel (Indiana Public Media) Several industry groups and state attorneys general oppose the rule and said the EPA didn’t consider the role a number of other technologies could play — like hydrogen fuel cells, hybrids or cars that can
July 14, 2023 Read Full Article
Ag Policy Blog: When It Comes to Fuel, EVs Have All the Answers for Biofuel Critics
by Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer) ... Every now and then I also get to read shots at "flyover country" about ethanol or biofuels in general. That leads to a guest essay published June 6 in the New York Times, "The Climate
July 08, 2023 Read Full Article
Meet HDT’s 2023 Top Green Fleets
by Deborah Lockridge (HDT TruckingInfo) ... Another trend we’re seeing among the Top Green Fleets is adoption of alternative fuels, especially renewable diesel and renewable natural gas. ... 4 Gen Logistics — Rialto, California ... The company has committed to becoming an all zero-emission
June 30, 2023 Read Full Article
New Issue Brief Challenges the EV Vision: Biofuels and a Technology Neutral Strategy the Better Approach
(Clean Fuels Development Coalition) The widespread introduction of electric vehicles as a means of reducing carbon emissions presents a far greater challenge than the public is being led to believe, according to new research by the Clean Fuels Development Coalition (CFDC). This
June 12, 2023 Read Full Article
Biden’s Plan to Phase out Gas-powered Cars Is All Pain for Consumers and No Gain Public Comment DEADLINE July 5, 2023
by Diana Furchtgott-Roth (The Hill/The Heritage Foundation) ... Others, due to cost, convenience and climate, prefer gasoline-powered vehicles. Thankfully, Americans today still have that choice. But if the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) latest proposed rule on car emissions is finalized as written, they won’t
June 12, 2023 Read Full Article
Mining Critical to Renewable Energy Tied to Hundreds of Alleged Human Rights Abuses
by Katie Surma (Inside Climate News) A report released Wednesday faults the U.S. and other nations for providing incentives for the mining of rare metals like lithium and cobalt without enacting adequate labor and environmental safeguards. Over the past dozen years, hundreds
June 07, 2023 Read Full Article
I Love Electric Vehicles – and Was an Early Adopter. But Increasingly I Feel Duped
by Rowan Atkinson (The Guardian) ... Electric vehicles may be a bit soulless, but they’re wonderful mechanisms: fast, quiet and, until recently, very cheap to run. But increasingly, I feel a little duped. When you start to drill into the
June 05, 2023 Read Full Article
Can We Replace All Crude Oil within 20 Years with Cellulosic Liquid Hydrocarbons?
by Charles Forsberg and Bruce Dale (Biofuels Digest) In the United States, crude oil products provide 48% of the total energy to the final customer: residential, commercial, industrial and transportation. Replacement of crude oil products (gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, chemical feed
May 30, 2023 Read Full Article
US EPA Recommends Delaying Electric Vehicles Biofuel Program -Sources
by Jarrett Renshaw and Stephanie Kelly (Reuters)The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recommended delaying a scheme that would give electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers tradable credits under a federal biofuel program, in a final rule that the White House will now
May 24, 2023 Read Full Article
Electricity or Ethanol: What Really Powers the World's Quickest Car?
by Gary Gastelu (Fox News) Rimac Nevera and Dodge Demon 170 both claim the record -- The Rimac Nevera took all the marbles this week. The $2.2 million Croatian electric "hypercar" laid claim to an astonishing 23 production car performance records that
May 22, 2023 Read Full Article
Biden Delays Bid to Grant Electric Carmakers Renewable Fuel Credits
by Jennifer A. Dlouhy (Bloomberg/Detroit News) The Biden administration has dropped, for now, a plan that would have awarded automakers such as Tesla Inc. credits for using renewable natural gas to power electric vehicles. That proposal was excluded from drafted regulation setting
May 21, 2023 Read Full Article
Bill Would Block EVs from Renewable Fuel Standard
by Marc Heller (Politico Pro/E&E News) Two Republican senators said the RFS was intended for liquid fuels, not to be an incentive for electrification. -- An oil industry advocate and an ethanol champion in the Senate are joining forces to try
May 19, 2023 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK -- Gill Pratt
"(I)t's going to take decades for battery material mines, renewable power generation, transmission lines and seasonal energy-storage facilities to scale up." -- Gill Pratt, chief executive of the Toyota Research Institute quoted by Reuters READ MORE
May 19, 2023 Read Full Article
Toyota’s Top Scientist Reiterates that the World Lacks the Resources to Go All in on Electric Cars
by Nicholas Takahashi and Craig Trudell (Bloomberg/South China Morning Post) Toyota Motor’s top scientist warned that transitioning to electric vehicles too quickly could lead drivers to hold on to old gas guzzlers and called for hybrids to be given a
May 19, 2023 Read Full Article
US House Republicans Blast EPA Refusal to Appear at EV Hearing
by David Shepardson (Reuters) The Republican majority on a U.S. House of Representatives panel criticized two Environmental Protection Agency officials who declined to appear at a hearing Wednesday on a proposal by President Joe Biden's administration's to cut vehicle emissions and
May 17, 2023 Read Full Article
The EV Transition Explained
by Robert N. “Bob” Charette (IEEE Spectrum) ... Two years ago, I began investigating the veracity of claims surrounding the transition to EVs at scale. The result is a 12-part series and e-book, The EV Transition Explained, that explores the
May 03, 2023 Read Full Article
What Is the Long-Term Demand for Liquid Hydrocarbon Fuels and Feedstocks?
by Charles Forsberg (Applied Energy) Liquid hydrocarbons made from crude oil serve many functions: (1) a dense, easy-to-store, easy-to-transport energy source, (2) a method for daily-to-seasonal energy storage, (3) a chemical feedstock, (4) a chemical reducing agent and (5) a