#united states electric vehicle market

[renubresearch]

United States Electric Vehicle Market will be US$ 391.03 Billion by 2030

Renub Research has released a report titled “United States Movie Market: Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity, and Forecast 2024-2030,” which includes market percentage records and a thorough enterprise analysis. This report looks at the competition, geographic distribution, and growth potential of the United States Movie Market. United States Movie Market is predicted to extend at…

[investoropia]

FISKER DELIVERS FIRST 22 FISKER OCEAN SUVS, Establishing Presence in Competitive EV Market

Fisker Inc. achieves a major milestone by delivering the highly anticipated Fisker Ocean SUV to customers in the United States. Explore the groundbreaking features, sustainability, and investment potential of Fisker in the rapidly growing electric vehicle sector

Fisker Ocean SUV:

Innovation and Unmatched Features: The Fisker Ocean SUV represents a groundbreaking leap in automotive innovation. Designed to offer a sustainable and luxurious driving experience, it is equipped with cutting-edge features and impressive performance capabilities. Boasting a class-leading range of up to 360 miles, it surpasses other electric SUVs in its category. The SUV's all-wheel drive system and dual-motor setup deliver exceptional power and acceleration, providing a thrilling driving experience that surpasses traditional internal combustion

Read More

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#Fisker #ElectricVehicles #Sustainability #Innovation #CustomerSatisfaction #InvestmentOpportunity #FuturePlans #Expansion #EVMarket

[aarunresearcher]

The United States electric vehicles market size is projected to exhibit a growth rate (CAGR) of 31.6% during 2024-2032. The increasing investments in charging infrastructure by both public and private entities, the rising corporate policies promoting the use of EVs, the growing integration of electric vehicles with autonomous driving technologies, the escalating efforts to educate consumers about the benefits of electric vehicles, and the stringent emission regulations are some of the factors propelling the market.

[reasonsforhope]

"Sodium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage are moving toward the mainstream. Wider use of these batteries could lead to lower costs, less fire risk and less need for lithium, cobalt and nickel.

On Nov. 18, CATL, the world’s largest battery manufacturer, announced its second-generation sodium-ion battery, mass production of which would begin in 2027. The China-based company said the new battery has an energy density of 200 watt-hours per kilogram, which is an increase from 160 watt-hours per kilogram for the previous generation that launched in 2021. Higher energy density in an EV battery translates into more driving range.

On Nov. 21, a consortium of seven U.S. national laboratories announced a new initiative in which they would spend $50 million to foster collaboration to accelerate the development of sodium-ion batteries. The partnership is led by Argonne National Laboratory in the Chicago area.

The two announcements are part of a larger shift as governments, researchers and companies look for alternatives to lithium-ion batteries, the dominant technology for EVs and energy storage.

For now, there are no passenger cars or trucks sold in the United States that use sodium-ion batteries. Some sodium-ion models are available in China and countries that import vehicles from China. 

“The reason we’re pursuing this is very simple,” said Venkat Srinivasan, a battery scientist at Argonne and the director of the new collaboration. “It’s because the huge demand in lithium-ion batteries has meant that we have a supply-chain constraint.

“We have a problem with cobalt. We have a problem with nickel,” he said, naming two of the metals often used in lithium-ion batteries.

Cobalt, nickel and lithium carry a variety of concerns, including the environmental damage of mining. [Note: Which is massive, and so are the human rights issues associated with lithium mining, which involves horrible conditions and is exacerbating conflict and civil wars in the Democratic Republic of Congo.] ...

In contrast, a sodium-ion battery relies on an element—sodium—that you can find in table salt and ocean water...

Also, a sodium-ion battery has much lower risk of fire. When lithium-ion batteries sustain damage, it can lead to “thermal runaway,” which triggers a dangerous and toxic fire.

The process of manufacturing sodium-ion batteries is similar to that of lithium-ion batteries, or at least similar enough that companies can shift existing assembly lines without having to spend heavily on retooling.

But sodium-ion batteries have some disadvantages. The big one is low energy density compared to lithium-ion. As a result, an EV running on a sodium-ion battery will go fewer miles per charge than a lithium-ion battery of the same size...

The national labs’ initiative has a five-year timeline, with a goal of developing sodium-ion batteries with energy densities that match or exceed those of today’s iron phosphate-based lithium-ion batteries. Researchers would do this by finding various efficiencies in design and materials.

The project is happening alongside the labs’ ongoing work to develop and improve other kinds of batteries.

Lithium-ion batteries dominate today’s market...

However, sodium-ion battery production is growing, and is projected to reach 140 gigawatt-hours by 2030, about 13 times its current level, according to Benchmark. Lithium-ion production also is projected to nearly triple by 2030.

“The key market driver for sodium-ion batteries is their potential to be cost competitive with lithium-ion batteries,” said Catherine Peake, an analyst for Benchmark...

Most of the push by battery companies to build sodium-ion systems is happening in China, but some of it is happening in other markets, including a plan by California-based Natron Energy to open its first large plant in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Natron made its announcement about the $1.4 billion project in August and has not given a timeline for when the plant would be online.

Meanwhile, researchers and companies continue working on other battery technologies.

I asked Srinivasan how sodium-ion batteries fit into this larger picture. He said sodium-ion will likely gain market share over the next few years as an alternative to lithium-ion batteries.

Near the end of the decade, solid-state batteries will begin to become available, which would allow for higher energy densities and longer driving ranges. Solid-state batteries use a solid electrolyte instead of a liquid or gel. The electrolyte is the substance through which ions move as they go from side to side during charging and discharging.

The technologies can coexist in the market, Srinivasan said.

He thinks solid-state batteries will initially be most common in high-end models and popular with people who want the longest possible ranges.

He expects that sodium-ion batteries will be more common in low-cost EVs for people who live in cities or suburbs and don’t place a high premium on driving range.

“It will not be a fringe player,” he said, about sodium-ion. “It will actually be a fast-growing segment.”"

-via Inside Climate News, December 6, 2024

[thedialoguedilemma]

BREAKING— China has suspended exports of certain rare earth minerals and magnets to the United States and around the world.

China has the largest supply of rare earth minerals in the world and is looking to draft new regulations to prevent those minerals from entering the US market thanks to Trump’s trade war.

Rare earth minerals from China are key to the production of smart phones, laptops, headphones, TVs, electric vehicles, defense systems, robotics and more.

This would be an absolute blow to the technology and defense space for the United States. China is proving once again that they are not bending the knee to Trump’s chaotic trade war.

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this Op-Ed from the New York Times:

At first glance, Xi Jinping seems to have lost the plot.

China’s president appears to be smothering the entrepreneurial dynamism that allowed his country to crawl out of poverty and become the factory of the world. He has brushed aside Deng Xiaoping’s maxim “To get rich is glorious” in favor of centralized planning and Communist-sounding slogans like “ecological civilization” and “new, quality productive forces,” which have prompted predictions of the end of China’s economic miracle.

But Mr. Xi is, in fact, making a decades-long bet that China can dominate the global transition to green energy, with his one-party state acting as the driving force in a way that free markets cannot or will not. His ultimate goal is not just to address one of humanity’s most urgent problems — climate change — but also to position China as the global savior in the process.

It has already begun. In recent years, the transition away from fossil fuels has become Mr. Xi’s mantra and the common thread in China’s industrial policies. It’s yielding results: China is now the world’s leading manufacturer of climate-friendly technologies, such as solar panels, batteries and electric vehicles. Last year the energy transition was China’s single biggest driver of overall investment and economic growth, making it the first large economy to achieve that.

This raises an important question for the United States and all of humanity: Is Mr. Xi right? Is a state-directed system like China’s better positioned to solve a generational crisis like climate change, or is a decentralized market approach — i.e., the American way — the answer?

How this plays out could have serious implications for American power and influence.

Look at what happened in the early 20th century, when fascism posed a global threat. America entered the fight late, but with its industrial power — the arsenal of democracy — it emerged on top. Whoever unlocks the door inherits the kingdom, and the United States set about building a new architecture of trade and international relations. The era of American dominance began.

Climate change is, similarly, a global problem, one that threatens our species and the world’s biodiversity. Where do Brazil, Pakistan, Indonesia and other large developing nations that are already grappling with the effects of climate change find their solutions? It will be in technologies that offer an affordable path to decarbonization, and so far, it’s China that is providing most of the solar panels, electric cars and more. China’s exports, increasingly led by green technology, are booming, and much of the growth involves exports to developing countries.

From the American neoliberal economic viewpoint, a state-led push like this might seem illegitimate or even unfair. The state, with its subsidies and political directives, is making decisions that are better left to the markets, the thinking goes.

But China’s leaders have their own calculations, which prioritize stability decades from now over shareholder returns today. Chinese history is littered with dynasties that fell because of famines, floods or failures to adapt to new realities. The Chinese Communist Party’s centrally planned system values constant struggle for its own sake, and today’s struggle is against climate change. China received a frightening reminder of this in 2022, when vast areas of the country baked for weeks under a record heat wave that dried up rivers, withered crops and was blamed for several heatstroke deaths.

[totally-california]

You’re president of the United States for a single 4-year term. You have full majority in the House and Senate. What are you (planning on) doing?

For me:

Immediately cutting weapon supplies to Israel and redirecting them to Ukraine so they can fight Russia (likely by declaring martial law)

Pass a federal law that states that you cannot prevent someone from getting an abortion before sixteen weeks of pregnancy as well as you cannot ban someone from using contraceptives

Add gay marriage as a constitutionally protected right (worded along the lines of ‘two people of consenting age are allowed to be together no matter their gender unless circumstances, such as abuse or large age gap including an inappropriate age for one party, occur)

Make school lunches free for as many states as possible

Improve the border situation by adding additional entry points along the border for people seeking asylum

Tax large corporations and rich billionaires higher than the average citizen, lower taxes for lower middle class and lower class citizens, and prevent housing companies from buying/owning more than 1000 houses on the market at any given time. (This will help stop inflation on house prices and potentially even bring it down)

Raise the age of consent to 18 in all states.

Prevent curfews being lawfully in place for people of a specific gender, sexuality, or race (probably by making it unconstitutional)

Decrease funding for the whole military (and put it mostly towards the Coast Guard), continue the disassemble of nuclear weapons (we do not need 500,000 nukes. It’s not useful. And there are better, deadlier, more effective weapons the US has at its disposal that don’t cause radiation and kill the environment for decades)

Improve funding for the study of ADHD and other neurological conditions to reduce false diagnosis while increasing access to the proper medical care and/or treatment needed to identify them

Address climate change by providing extra tax breaks to people with solar panels and/or ZEV’s. (Short for Zero Emission Vehicles) this would include electric cars, and also hybrid cars.

Add term limits for senators and house representatives (2 terms for the Senate, 4 for the House) and make it so the Supreme Court no longer serves for life, but for 3 major election cycles (12 years).

A federal law that if, after 7 years, a debt that has interest is not paid off but the original cost of the debt was, the debt is canceled.

That’s all I could think of, but what are you guys considering? Under the cut are people I follow on my main account or are friends with (I’m not telling you what my main account is though, just know I follow you)

@mrvolition @the-official-goose-god @wikipedia-the-official @maryland-officially @houston-official

@just-ray @walmart-the-official @bingle-official @tameable50

@wannabelaika @ohio-thestate @definitely-mihoyo

[mariacallous]

Let’s be upfront here: US cars haven’t been cheap for a long time. The average price of a new car in the US is close to $50,000, up some $5,000 from two decades ago, even adjusted for inflation. The reasons are manifold: Vehicles have gotten more complicated—and expensive—to manufacture, the Covid-19 pandemic bent global auto supply chains out of shape, and Detroit automakers put the brakes on relatively more affordable passengers cars in the past decade in favor of higher-margin (and more in-demand) trucks and SUVs.

But auto tariffs applied by the Trump administration this week—and another set of parts tariffs set to kick in next month—may effectively put a stake in the American affordable car, experts say, by driving up prices by thousands of dollars.

Among the biggest losers will likely be the country’s most price-sensitive buyers, for whom a higher sticker price means waiting to trade in their old car. The moves may also put pressure on used-auto markets, too, as those former new-car buyers help ratchet up demand.

At the end of March, 27 US vehicles had an average transaction price of under $30,000, according to data collected by Cox Automotive; seven of those are discontinued and just selling down remaining cars. About half of the models left over will be subject to the tariffs because they’re assembled outside the United States. Apply an extra $6,000 or so to each of those vehicles’ prices—what the firm estimates the tariffs will cost per auto—and only five remain: the Hyundai Venue, the Kia Soul, the Nissan Sentra, the Chevrolet Trax, and the Nissan Versa (which is being discontinued this year).

Victims could include the popular Hyundai Kona (built in South Korea), Jeep’s least expensive SUV, the Compass (Mexico), and the base model Ford Maverick truck (Mexico). General Motors’ had a hit on its hands last year with the Chevrolet Trax, which starts at $21,000. But the car is assembled in South Korea—and so could get more expensive.

The calculations will get even more complicated next month, when the Trump administration says it will begin to apply a tariff on imported auto parts as well. Even popular affordable models assembled in the US—such as the Subaru Crosstrek, manufactured in Indiana, or the Honda Civic, built in Ohio—contain components from outside the US.

Some affordable models could disappear altogether, says Erin Keating, an executive analyst at Cox Automotive. “The American consumer, we like our things big, customized, special, and cheap,” she says. “It’s going to be pretty hard to manage.” The days of the $20,000 car are all but over, and the days of the $30,000 one might be, too.

Buyers may be on the verge of an enforced crash course not on where automakers base their headquarters—Toyota and Honda, Japan; Volkswagen and Audi, Germany—but where they build individual cars. It might behoove bargain hunters to know, for example, that the $23,000 Toyota Corolla is built in Mississippi, that the $45,000 electric Volkswagen ID.4 comes out of Tennessee, and that the $25,000 Honda Civic is put together in Indiana.

But it’s not yet clear how the automakers will pass on new tariffs to consumers. Some will absorb part of the costs or expect their suppliers or dealers to do so. Some may shift money around to keep their entry-level models afloat, to make sure they’re still getting price-sensitive buyers in the door, maybe by raising prices on all models to subsidize the tariffed ones. Others might simply tack tariff costs onto sticker prices. Volkswagen has reportedly told US dealers that it will add a new import fee to its vehicles built outside the US. Others might abandon their affordable segments.

In the US, where smaller and often more affordable vehicles sell in smaller volumes, automakers may find it hard to justify keeping some models around. It’s a flywheel, where fewer sales lead to fewer economies of scale—and so more expensive per-car costs on parts, manufacturing, and tooling, says Ivan Drury, the director of Insights at Edmunds. For more affordable vehicles especially, “every dollar has to be justified,” he says.

Tariffs come at an unfortunate moment for car buyers, many of whom sat out the sky-high prices of the pandemic and the high interest rates that followed. “They were just beginning to come back,” says Drury. “People were thinking, ‘Maybe it’s finally time.’” Those desperate for new wheels might instead now turn to the used-car market, which is already supply constrained because automakers didn’t pump out as many vehicles during the pandemic years.

Regardless of what kind of car buyers are looking for, analysts say the tariffs make one thing very clear. “We’re predicting that all vehicles will rise in cost,” says Keating.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Dean Obeidallah at The Dean's Report:

“The one big thing nobody is talking about: Did Elon want to shut the government down because of his business deals with China?” That was the first line of Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass) multi-part statement Saturday posted on Elon Musk’s platform, X--ironically enough. A similar point was also made Friday by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)—the ranking minority member of the House Appropriations Committee-in a detailed letter to leaders of the House and the Senate. What was the issue the two were flagging? As Rep. McGovern wrote: “The original funding bill (that he [Musk] killed) included what’s called an “outbound investment” provision—which would limit & screen U.S. money flowing to China. That would have made it easier to keep cutting-edge AI and quantum computing tech—as well as jobs—in America. But Elon had a problem.” DeLauro gave even more context to this provision vetting investments in China: “This outbound investment provision was agreed to after months of bipartisan, bicameral negotiations and years of advocacy from Members of Congress. It would have kept innovation and manufacturing in semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, and other cutting-edge technologies in the United States and prevented wealthy investors from continuing to offshore production and U.S. intellectual property into China – benefiting only their bottom lines and the Chinese Communist Party.” But Musk—per these two members of Congress—led the charge to block this proposed legislation because as McGovern accurately noted, Musk’s “second-largest market is China. He’s building huge factories there. His bottom line depends on staying in China’s good graces.” The result was that when the new budget deal was agreed upon Friday, guess what was missing? Yep, the provision that would’ve been bad for Musk’s business deals with the Chinese Communist Party—which is in essence Musk’s business partner as the NY Times detailed earlier this year in an article titled, “How Elon Musk Became ‘Kind of Pro-China.’” (Musk’s exact words.)

Rep. DeLauro explained in more detail the financial incentive behind Musk’s action to block this provision: “Musk’s car company, Tesla has poured billions of dollars into investments in China, particularly its “gigafactory” in Shanghai. The Shanghai plant is Tesla’s largest car manufacturing facility – the Chinese gigafactory produced about 50 percent of Tesla’s global automobile output over the last year.” DeLauro continued, “And in May of this year, Tesla broke ground on a new $200 million factory to manufacture large batteries critical to its electric vehicle supply chain…Notably, proponents of regulating U.S. investment in China have advocated for the inclusion of large battery manufacturing in the list of technologies subject to outbound investment screening.” Yep, these new law could’ve impacted Musk’s new business venture per DeLauro.

Rep. McGovern also raised concerns about Musk’s future business plans involving China, explaining Musk “wants to build an AI data center there too—which could endanger U.S. security.” Importantly, DeLauro detailed for all to see Musk’s documented personal relations with the Chinese Communist Party, noting, “Musk has ingratiated himself with Chinese Communist Party leadership.” For example, she cited Musk’s close ties with “Chinese premier Li Qiang, who helped rush the construction of Tesla’s Shanghai gigafactory.” DeLauro concluded her letter by writing, “It is extremely alarming that House Republican leadership, at the urging of an unelected billionaire, scrapped…this critical provision to protect American jobs and critical capabilities.” Adding, “This is particularly concerning given Elon Musk’s extensive investments in China in key sectors and his personal ties with Chinese Communist Party leadership, and calls into question the real reason for Musk’s opposition to the original funding deal.”

[...] In fact, even a well-known Republican raised alarm bells about Musk’s loyalty to Beijing. Vivek Ramaswamy--who Trump tapped with Musk to co-head the newly created Department of Government Efficiency--was publicly warning in 2023 that Musk was a puppet for the Chinese Communist Party. As CNN recently reported, Ramaswamy was concerned that “Tesla is increasingly beholden to China,” adding damningly, “I have no reason to think Elon won’t jump like a circus monkey when [China’s leader] Xi Jinping calls in the hour of need.” The GOP silence on Musk’s extensive ties to the Chinese Communist Party is beyond hypocritical given that for years Republicans have slammed China as a threat. For example, in January 2023, the House GOP created “The Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party” designed to address the “threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party and develop a plan of action to defend the American people, our economy, and our values.” Earlier this year, the House GOP led the charge to ban Tik Tok from having access to the United States--which was signed into law and goes into effect Jan. 19, 2025 unless the Chinese company that owns the social media platform sells it to a non-Chinese company. But when it comes to Musk, the GOP doesn’t care that he has documented ties to top Chinese Communist Party officials.

CCP puppet and de facto “President” Elon Musk helped block the original CR to protect his business deals with the Chinese government, because it had an “outbound investment” provision that would screen any US money sent to China.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

January 1, 2025

Heather Cox Richardson

Jan 01, 2025

Twenty-five years ago today, Americans—along with the rest of the world—woke up to a new century date…and to the discovery that the years of work computer programmers had put in to stop what was known as the Y2K bug from crashing airplanes, shutting down hospitals, and making payments systems inoperable had worked.

When programmers began their work with the first wave of commercial computers in the 1960s, computer memory was expensive, so they used a two-digit format for dates, using just the years in the century, rather than using the four digits that would be necessary otherwise—78, for example, rather than 1978. This worked fine until the century changed.

As the turn of the twenty-first century approached, computer engineers realized that computers might interpret 00 as 1900 rather than 2000 or fail to recognize it at all, causing programs that, by then, handled routine maintenance, safety checks, transportation, finance, and so on, to fail. According to scholar Olivia Bosch, governments recognized that government services, as well as security and the law, could be disrupted by the glitch. They knew that the public must have confidence that world systems would survive, and the United States and the United Kingdom, where at the time computers were more widespread than they were elsewhere, emphasized transparency about how governments, companies, and programmers were handling the problem. They backed the World Bank and the United Nations in their work to help developing countries fix their own Y2K issues.

Meanwhile, people who were already worried about the coming of a new century began to fear that the end of the world was coming. In late 1996, evangelical Christian believers saw the Virgin Mary in the windows of an office building near Clearwater, Florida, and some thought the image was a sign of the end times. Leaders fed that fear, some appearing to hope that the secular government they hated would fall, some appreciating the profit to be made from their warnings. Popular televangelist Pat Robertson ran headlines like “The Year 2000—A Date with Disaster.”

Fears reached far beyond the evangelical community. Newspaper tabloids ran headlines that convinced some worried people to start stockpiling food and preparing for societal collapse: “JANUARY 1, 2000: THE DAY THE EARTH WILL STAND STILL!” one tabloid read. “ALL BANKS WILL FAIL. FOOD SUPPLIES WILL BE DEPLETED! ELECTRICITY WILL BE CUT OFF! THE STOCK MARKET WILL CRASH! VEHICLES USING COMPUTER CHIPS WILL STOP DEAD! TELEPHONES WILL CEASE TO FUNCTION! DOMINO EFFECT WILL CAUSE A WORLDWIDE DEPRESSION!”

In fact, the fix turned out to be simple—programmers developed updated systems that recognized a four-digit date—but implementing it meant that hardware and software had to be adjusted to become Y2K compliant, and they had to be ready by midnight on December 31, 1999. Technology teams worked for years, racing to meet the deadline at a cost that researchers estimate to have been $300–$600 billion. The head of the Federal Aviation Administration at the time, Jane Garvey, told NPR in 1998 that the air traffic control system had twenty-three million lines of code that had to be fixed.

President Bill Clinton’s 1999 budget had described fixing the Y2K bug as “the single largest technology management challenge in history,” but on December 14 of that year, President Bill Clinton announced that according to the Office of Management and Budget, 99.9% of the government's mission-critical computer systems were ready for 2000. In May 1997, only 21% had been ready. “[W]e have done our job, we have met the deadline, and we have done it well below cost projections,” Clinton said.

Indeed, the fix worked. Despite the dark warnings, the programmers had done their job, and the clocks changed with little disruption. “2000,” the Wilmington, Delaware, News Journal’s headline read. “World rejoices; Y2K bug is quiet.”

Crises get a lot of attention, but the quiet work of fixing them gets less. And if that work ends the crisis that got all the attention, the success itself makes people think there was never a crisis to begin with. In the aftermath of the Y2K problem, people began to treat it as a joke, but as technology forecaster Paul Saffo emphasized, “The Y2K crisis didn’t happen precisely because people started preparing for it over a decade in advance. And the general public who was busy stocking up on supplies and stuff just didn’t have a sense that the programmers were on the job.”

As of midnight last night, a five-year contract ended that had allowed Russia to export natural gas to Europe by way of a pipeline running through Ukraine. Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky warned that he would not renew the contract, which permitted more than $6 billion a year to flow to cash-strapped Russia. European governments said they had plenty of time to prepare and that they have found alternative sources to meet the needs of their people.

Today, President Joe Biden issued a statement marking the day that the new, lower cap on seniors’ out-of-pocket spending on prescription drugs goes into effect. The Inflation Reduction Act, negotiated over two years and passed with Democratic votes alone, enabled the government to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies over drug prices and phased in out-of-pocket spending caps for seniors. In 2024 the cap was $3,400; it’s now $2,000.

As we launch ourselves into 2025, one of the key issues of the new year will be whether Americans care that the U.S. government does the hard, slow work of governing and, if it does, who benefits.

Happy New Year, everyone.

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[aarunresearcher]

The increasing environmental consciousness is positively influencing the market growth. The rising concerns about the environmental impact of traditional internal combustion engine vehicles, especially in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, have driven consumers to seek cleaner and more sustainable transportation alternatives. 

[iww-gnv]

New York CNN — Tesla has beaten back previous efforts by workers to unionize – but the United Auto Workers hopes a successful strike against Ford, General Motors and Stellantis could help it organize at Tesla. UAW membership has declined in recent decades, and the auto industry is moving to electric vehicles. EV battery and production plants thus far in the United States are mostly non-union. To grow, the UAW will have to make inroads at EV plants. “Tesla is the biggest threat in the long term to UAW wages and benefits. UAW doesn’t have any choice but to take on [Tesla],” said John Logan, a professor of labor and employment studies at San Francisco State University. Tesla controls around 60% of the electric vehicle market in the United States, and Detroit and foreign automakers in the South are racing to catch up. Tesla workers earn on average about $55 an hour in wages and benefits, compared to $66 to $71 an hour at Detroit’s Big Three, according to industry estimates. Workers have attempted to organize at Tesla at least three different times. But the company, led by Elon Musk, has been difficult for unions to break into because of weak protections for labor organizing in the United States; Tesla’s aggressive tactics; and Tesla’s strategy of granting factory workers stock options, a rarity in the auto industry. “Tesla will go to extraordinary lengths to prevent unions,” Logan said. Tesla did not respond to CNN’s request for comment.

[head-post]

Trump slaps 25% tariff on car imports

US President Donald Trump escalated his trade offensive on Wednesday by announcing 25% tariffs on all imported passenger vehicles and light trucks.

The move is set to take effect on 3 April, sending shockwaves through the global automotive industry and drawing sharp rebukes from key US allies. The surprise announcement, made during an Oval Office appearance, marks the most aggressive trade measure of Trump’s current term and threatens to add thousands of dollars to vehicle prices while disrupting complex international supply chains.

What we’re going to be doing is a 25% tariff for all cars that are not made in the United States.

The tariffs will apply to $474 billion in annual automotive imports, disproportionately affecting major suppliers including Mexico, Japan, South Korea, Canada and Germany. In a partial concession to North American manufacturers, the White House temporarily exempted auto parts compliant with the USMCA trade agreement while leaving other components vulnerable to duties after 3 May.

Global backlash and market turmoil

International reaction was swift and critical. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen denounced the tariffs as “economically destructive.” Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney characterised them as a betrayal of allied workers.

We will defend our workers, we will defend our companies, we will defend our country, and we will defend it together.

The announcement triggered immediate market turbulence, with automaker stocks tumbling in after-hours trading and the S&P 500 extending its March losses to 4%.

Domestic reception proved more mixed. The United Auto Workers union praised the move as long-overdue protection for American jobs, while industry groups warned of dire consequences.

Autos Drive America, representing foreign automakers, projected the tariffs would increase production costs, reduce consumer choice and ultimately cost US manufacturing jobs given the industry’s heavy reliance on imported components.

Industry observers note the tariffs arrive at a particularly vulnerable moment for automakers, who are already struggling with the costly transition to electric vehicles. The measures risk stalling vehicle sales, exacerbating inflationary pressures and potentially undermining Trump’s own economic promises.

Read more HERE

[oilgasenergymagazine]

Silvercorp Metals: A Standout in Silver Mining Amid Rising Demand

Source: mining.com

Category: News

  

A Silver Surge Driven by Renewables and Geopolitics

Silvercorp Metals has capitalized on the remarkable growth in silver prices in 2024, with its price surging over 25% year-to-date (YTD). Industry analysts attribute this rise to a combination of factors, including increasing industrial demand, especially from electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers, and geopolitical uncertainties. The dollar index’s volatility and conflicts in regions like Ukraine and the Middle East further heightened the appeal of precious metals as a stable investment.

Beyond its traditional investment value, silver’s applications in emerging technologies have expanded. Its use in solar panels, electronics, and advanced healthcare technologies has supported demand growth. According to the Silver Institute, silver consumption for solar energy has more than tripled in five years, rising from 74.9 million ounces in 2019 to a projected 232 million ounces by the end of 2024. This aligns with the broader push for renewable energy and sustainability, positioning silver as a critical resource in the global transition to green energy.

Silvercorp Metals: Poised for Growth

Among leading silver mining stocks, Silvercorp Metals Inc. (NYSE:SVM) stands out for its potential in this thriving market. Industry experts foresee sustained demand for silver in renewable energy and electronics, offsetting uncertainties tied to global economic and monetary policies. Unlike gold, which sees only 10% of its output used industrially, over half of all silver production serves industrial applications. This diverse demand profile enhances silver’s long-term investment appeal.

In 2024, industrial demand for silver is projected to reach a record 700 million ounces, marking a 7% year-over-year increase. This milestone reflects strong growth in industrial applications, jewelry, and silverware. Meanwhile, mine production is expected to rise marginally by 1%, creating a favorable supply-demand dynamic for silver prices. Exchange-traded products (ETPs) tied to silver are also set for their first annual inflows in three years, fueled by anticipated interest rate cuts, periods of dollar weakness, and declining bond yields.

Production Outlook: A Global Perspective

Global silver production is expected to grow modestly by 1% in 2024, reaching 837 million ounces. Key contributors to this growth include Mexico, Chile, and the United States, offsetting reduced outputs from countries like Peru, Argentina, and China. Mexico, in particular, is projected to increase its production by 10 million ounces (a 5% year-over-year rise) to reach 209 million ounces. This uptick is driven by improved mill throughput and upgraded ventilation systems at Pan American Silver’s La Colorada mine, alongside a recovery at Newmont’s Peñasquito mine.

As silver continues to gain traction in industrial and renewable sectors, companies like Silvercorp Metals are well-positioned to capitalize on these trends. With industrial applications and investment demand soaring, the outlook for silver and leading miners in the industry appears promising, making stocks like Silvercorp an attractive consideration for investors.

[wolfliving]

Strange Chinese trade-war recommendations at US Congress

COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF THE COMMISSION’S 2024 RECOMMENDATIONS Part II: Technology and Consumer Product Opportunities and Risks Chapter 3: U.S.-China Competition in Emerging Technologies The Commission recommends:

Congress establish and fund a Manhattan Project-like program dedicated to racing to and acquiring an Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) capability. AGI is generally defined as systems that are as good as or better than human capabilities across all cognitive domains and would surpass the sharpest human minds at every task. Among the specific actions the Commission recommends for Congress:

Provide broad multiyear contracting authority to the executive branch and associated funding for leading artificial intelligence, cloud, and data center companies and others to advance the stated policy at a pace and scale consistent with the goal of U.S. AGI leadership; and

Direct the U.S. secretary of defense to provide a Defense Priorities and Allocations System “DX Rating” to items in the artificial intelligence ecosystem to ensure this project receives national priority.

Congress consider legislation to:

Require prior approval and ongoing oversight of Chinese involvement in biotechnology companies engaged in operations in the United States, including research or other related transactions. Such approval and oversight operations shall be conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in consultation with other appropriate governmental entities. In identifying the involvement of Chinese entities or interests in the U.S. biotechnology sector, Congress should include firms and persons: ○ Engaged in genomic research; ○ Evaluating and/or reporting on genetic data, including for medical or therapeutic purposes or ancestral documentation; ○ Participating in pharmaceutical development; ○ Involved with U.S. colleges and universities; and ○ Involved with federal, state, or local governments or agen cies and departments.

Support significant Federal Government investments in biotechnology in the United States and with U.S. entities at every level of the technology development cycle and supply chain, from basic research through product development and market deployment, including investments in intermediate services capacity and equipment manufacturing capacity.

To protect U.S. economic and national security interests, Congress consider legislation to restrict or ban the importation of certain technologies and services controlled by Chinese entities, including:

Autonomous humanoid robots with advanced capabilities of (i) dexterity, (ii) locomotion, and (iii) intelligence; and

Energy infrastructure products that involve remote servicing, maintenance, or monitoring capabilities, such as load balancing and other batteries supporting the electrical grid, batteries used as backup systems for industrial facilities and/ or critical infrastructure, and transformers and associated equipment.

Congress encourage the Administration’s ongoing rulemaking efforts regarding “connected vehicles” to cover industrial machinery, Internet of Things devices, appliances, and other connected devices produced by Chinese entities or including Chinese technologies that can be accessed, serviced, maintained, or updated remotely or through physical updates.

Congress enact legislation prohibiting granting seats on boards of directors and information rights to China-based investors in strategic technology sectors. Allowing foreign investors to hold seats and observer seats on the boards of U.S. technology start-ups provides them with sensitive strategic information, which could be leveraged to gain competitive advantages. Prohibiting this practice would protect intellectual property and ensure that U.S. technological advances are not compromised. It would also reduce the risk of corporate espionage, safeguarding America’s leadership in emerging technologies.

Congress establish that:

The U.S. government will unilaterally or with key interna- tional partners seek to vertically integrate in the develop- ment and commercialization of quantum technology.

Federal Government investments in quantum technology support every level of the technology development cycle and supply chain from basic research through product development and market deployment, including investments in intermediate services capacity.

The Office of Science and Technology Policy, in consultation with appropriate agencies and experts, develop a Quantum Technology Supply Chain Roadmap to ensure that the United States coordinates outbound investment, U.S. critical supply chain assessments, the activities of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), and federally supported research activities to ensure that the United States, along with key allies and partners, will lead in this critical technology and not advance Chinese capabilities and development....

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from RMI:

1. Batteries Become Everybody’s Best Friend

Battery prices continue to drop and their capacity continues to rise. The cost of electric vehicle (EV) batteries are now about 60 percent what they were just five years ago. And around the world, batteries have become key components in solar-plus-storage microgrids, giving people access to reliable power and saving the day for communities this past hurricane season.

2. Americans Get Cheaper (and Cleaner) Energy

State public utility commissions and rural electric co-operatives around the country are taking steps to deliver better service for their customers that also lowers their rates. At the same time, real momentum is building to prevent vertically integrated utilities from preferencing their coal assets when there are cleaner and cheaper alternatives available.

3. A Sustainable Shipping Future Gets Closer

More than 50 leaders across the marine shipping value chain — from e-fuel producers to vessel and cargo owners, to ports and equipment manufacturers — signed a Call to Action at the UN climate change conference (COP29) to accelerate the adoption of zero-emission fuels. The joint statement calls for faster and bolder action to increase the use of zero and near-zero emissions fuel, investment in zero-emissions vessels, and global development of green hydrogen infrastructure, leaving no country behind.

4. Corporations Fly Cleaner

In April, 20 corporations, including Netflix, JPMorgan Chase, Autodesk, and more, committed to purchase about 50 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), avoiding 500,000 tons of CO2 emissions — equivalent to the emissions of 3,000 fully loaded passenger flights from New York City to London. SAF is made with renewable or waste feedstocks and can be used in today’s aircraft without investments to upgrade existing fleets and infrastructure.

5. More and More Places Go From Coal to Clean

Around the world, coal-fired power plants are closing down as communities switch to clean energy. From Chile to the Philippines to Minnesota coal-to-clean projects are creating new jobs, improving local economic development, and generating clean electricity. In September, Britain became the first G7 nation to stop generating electricity from coal — it’s turning its last coal-fired power plant into a low-carbon energy hub. And in Indonesia, the president vowed to retire all coal plants within 15 years and install 75 gigawatts of renewable energy.

6. Methane Becomes More Visible, and Easier to Mitigate

Methane — a super-potent greenhouse gas — got much easier to track thanks to the launch of new methane tracking satellites over the past year. In March, the Environmental Defense Fund launched MethaneSAT, the first for a non-governmental organization, and the Carbon Mapper Coalition soon followed with the launch of Tanager-1. By scanning the planet many times each day and identifying major methane leaks from orbit, these new satellites will put pressure on big emitters to clean up.

7. EVs Speed By Historic Milestones

This past year was the first time any country had more fully electric cars than gas-powered cars on the roads. It’s no surprise that this happened in Norway where electric cars now make up more than 90 percent of new vehicle sales. And in October, the United States hit a milestone, with over 200,000 electric vehicle charging ports installed nationwide.

8. Consumers Continue to Shift to Energy-Efficient Heat Pumps for Heating and Cooling

Heat pumps have outsold gas furnaces consistently since 2021. And while shipments of heating and cooling equipment fell worldwide in 2023, likely due to broad economic headwinds, heat pumps held on to their market share through. And over the past 12 months, heat pumps outsold conventional furnaces by 27 percent. Shipments are expected to continue increasing as states roll out home efficiency and appliance rebate programs already funded by the Inflation Reduction Act – worth up to $10,000 per household in new incentives for heat pump installations. Link: Tracking the Heat Pump & Water Heater Market in the United States – RMI

9. China Reaches Its Renewable Energy Goal, Six Years Early

China added so much renewable energy capacity this year, that by July it had surpassed its goal of having 1,200 gigawatts (GW) of clean energy installed by 2030. Through September 2024, China installed some 161 GW of new solar capacity and 39 GW of new wind power, according to China’s National Energy Administration (NEA). China is deploying more solar, wind, and EVs than any other country, including the United States, which is — by comparison — projected to deploy a record 50 GW of solar modules by the end of 2024.

10. De-carbonizing Heavy Industry

For steel, cement, chemicals and other heavy industries, low-carbon technologies and climate-friendly solutions are not only increasingly available but growing more affordable. To speed this process, Third Derivative, RMI’s climate tech accelerator, launched the Industrial Innovation Cohorts to accelerate the decarbonization of steel, cement, and chemicals. Also on the rise: clean hydrogen hubs — powered by renewable energy — designed to supply green hydrogen to chemical, steel, and other heavy industries to help them shift to low-carbon production processes.