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Coal is one of the world’s biggest polluters, with its transportation, storage and usage accounting for around 40% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to the United Nations.

One executive who says she wants to help reduce the Asia-Pacific region’s dependence on the fossil fuel is Somruedee Chaimongkol, chief executive of energy firm Banpu Public Company. The company has operated coal mines in Thailand for almost four decades.

Sometimes known as Asia’s “first lady of coal,” Chaimongkol became CEO of the company since 2015 and established what she called a “greener, smarter” business plan for the firm the following year.

“Since 2010, we talk about transformation. And since 2015, when I succeed my predecessor as CEO, we start to implement on the greener, smarter [plan]. For the past five years, we spent $2 billion and 90% of [that went on] … a greener investment, such as gas, such as renewable energy, and energy technology,” Chaimongkol told CNBC’s “Managing Asia: Sustainable Future.”

“[There are] a lot of mega trends happening — digitalization, decarbonization, decentralization — and that sped up Banpu to produce a new, greener, smarter strategy,” she added.

Founded in 1983, Thailand’s Ban Pu Coal Company Limited began its operations in the country’s northern Lamphun Province and listed on the Thai stock exchange six years later. In 1993, it took on its current trading name, and in the following years expanded into other parts of Southeast Asia and China.

Last year it established Banpu Next, which encompasses its energy technology businesses including electric vehicles, renewable energy plants and electric ferries.

Banpu’s 2020 annual report indicates that coal accounted for more than 95% of Banpu Public Company Ltd’s revenue in 2020, a figure more or less in line with 2019. The same annual report shows that including the company’s overseas subsidiaries, coal accounted for more than 80% of total revenue.

The company has been buying up natural gas assets in the United States for the last several years.

In March, the firm said it wants to make half of its earnings from “green” energy by 2025.

“We are adding more rapidly on the renewable generation in Japan, Vietnam and in China … And we have set up Banpu Energy Australia,” Chaimongkol said.

Electric vehicles

The company also wants to create an energy “ecosystem” within Banpu NEXT, covering everything from energy creation and storage, to distribution and building charging stations for EVs. Chaimongkol said the division can generate “significant” revenue by 2025.

“Under Banpu NEXT, currently the major revenue contribution is still from energy generation from solar farm and wind farm. Going forward, we will scale up on … [the] energy technology,” she explained.

One aspect of the new system is a tech platform that helps to manage fleets of electric three-wheel taxis known as tuk-tuks, as well as four-wheel vans. “What we are selling to our customer is selling the platform, selling the solution, managing … a fleet [and providing] … e-charging station[s],” Chaimongkol explained. In November, Banpu NEXT launched an electric powered ferry that will operate rides for tourists around the Thai island of Phuket, and in March it invested in Urban Mobility Tech Co (UMT), an EV ride-sharing company based in Bangkok.

A mini electric vehicle from Banpu Next in Bangkok on February 26, 2021.
Romeo Gacad | AFP | Getty Images

Will Banpu ever exit coal mining altogether? Not in the next five to 10 years, according to Chaimongkol, as there will still be a demand from customers for it. But the company won’t invest in new coal assets, she said, adding it will instead be pumping money into renewable energy and in doing so reducing the contribution of coal to the firm’s turnover.

Chaimongkol said future business plans would “embed” sustainable policies and gave the impression she’d like to move away from her “first lady of coal” nickname. “Right now, Banpu is transforming and … our direction is towards a greener, smarter [plan]. But if [we] talk about leading the company, I would say Banpu is an energy company,” she stated. Her leadership is about making sure managers of the firm’s four divisions — minerals, gas production, conventional coal-fired power and Banpu NEXT — can focus on the “greener” strategy, she added.

Banpu has been selected as a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices benchmark for seven consecutive years, which Chaimongkol hopes will appeal to investors. Companies are chosen following an assessment of ESG (environmental, social and governance) criteria.

“I hope that investor[s] will see this strong … commitment [to] being a conscious company. I hope that it will reflect in the value of the company going forward,” she said.

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Ford is preparing for an all-new EV at its Louisville assembly plant, but which one?

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Ford is preparing for an all-new EV at its Louisville assembly plant, but which one?

The Louisville assembly plant is scheduled for an extensive retooling starting later this year to produce a new Ford EV model. After the Escape is phased out, Ford will upgrade the facility to introduce an all-new EV.

What new EV will Ford build in Louisville?

Since 2022, Ford has had the same three electric vehicles available in the US. The Mustang Mach-E, F-150 Lightning, and E-Transit. However, that could change soon.

According to Todd Dunn, president of UAW Local 862, Ford’s Louisville plant will likely see some major changes later this year.

Dunn told The Courier Journal that the retooling could take upwards of 10 months. Ford is expected to begin the upgrades in December when the Escape and Lincoln Corsair, which are made at the plant, are phased out.

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Although Ford has yet to confirm the retooling, according to Dunn, the downtime will impact around 2,300 workers at the plant. They are expected to be temporarily laid off during the retooling, but Dunn said they will qualify for supplemental unemployment benefits and will also be able to draw unemployment.

Ford-new-EV-Louisville
Ford Mustang Mach-E (left) and F-150 Lightning (right) (Source: Ford)

The upgrades are part of a 2023 UAW and Ford agreement to make the Louisville plant one of three due for a future EV model.

As to which EV, Dunn still doesn’t know, or when Ford will officially announce it. Since Ford already scrapped plans for a three-row electric SUV, that’s out.

Ford-new-EV-Louisville
Ford’s electric Explorer for Europe (Source: Ford)

Ford is planning to launch the first model on its long-awaited low-cost EV platform, a midsize electric pickup, in 2027. But this is expected to be built in Tennessee. A new “digitally advanced” electric van that will be built in Ohio is also due out next year.

2025-Ford-F-150-Lightning
2025 Ford F-150 Lightning (Source: Ford)

So, what mysterious new EV is Ford planning for Louisville? Ford spokesperson Jess Enoch told The Courier-Journal last year that the company is “committed to an all-new electric vehicle” at the plant but said, “We will share details closer to launch.”

The news comes after Ford’s Mustang Mach-E notched its highest first-quarter sales since its launch, with 11,607 units sold in the first three months of 2024. F-150 Lightning sales, on the other hand, fell 7%.

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Eric Trump says he moved to crypto after family business became ‘most canceled company’

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Eric Trump says he moved to crypto after family business became 'most canceled company'

American Bitcoin co-founder Eric Trump: Crypto's the 'future of the modern financial system'

Eric Trump says his family was “the most canceled company, probably on Earth.”

That was then.

With his dad, President Donald Trump, back in the White House, he sees a new money-making opportunity.

“It actually is what drove us toward cryptocurrency,” the president’s middle son told CNBC, referring to the Trump family’s latest business endeavors. “You realize that cryptocurrency was a lot faster, it was a lot more pragmatic, it was a lot more transparent, it was exponentially cheaper.”

In 2022, about two years after the end of President Trump’s first term, two subsidiaries of the Trump Organization were convicted by a jury in New York of multiple crimes, including tax fraud, falsifying business records and conspiracy. The guilty verdicts on all 17 charged counts came three weeks after Trump declared his 2024 candidacy.

Last month, the Trump Organization sued Capital One in Florida over allegedly “unjustifiably” closing more than 300 of the company’s bank accounts following the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. The lawsuit claimed Capitol One was acting on “unsubstantiated, ‘woke’ beliefs that it needed to distance itself from President Trump and his conservative political views.”

Prior to Trump’s return to the White House, the Trump Organization unveiled a new ethics plan that said it would limit the president’s involvement in management decisions and other aspects of the business while he’s in office.

President Donald Trump (2R), flanked by US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick (L), US Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent (2L) and White House AI and Crypto Czar David Sacks (R), attends a the White House Crypto Summit in Washington, DC, March 7, 2025. 

Jim Watson | Afp | Getty Images

But crypto is another matter. President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump launched meme coins just before the new term, adding billions of dollars of paper wealth to the family’s net worth.

Eric Trump and older brother Donald Trump Jr. are going even bigger. They recently announced plans to launch a U.S. dollar–backed stablecoin through their new venture, World Liberty Financial, and a new bitcoin mining company called American Bitcoin, co-founded with Hut 8 CEO Asher Genoot.

Eric Trump described his entry into crypto not as a financial bet, but as a form of resistance, and said the move began during what he calls the “war on the industry.” Banks were closing accounts, the SEC was cracking down on exchanges, and crypto users were being “debanked” for simply holding coins, he said.

“They were going after people,” he said. “They were suing everybody. Banks were closing down people that just wanted to own bitcoin.”

That’s when Eric Trump said he started associating with like-minded people in and around crypto.

“At this point, I know almost everybody in the industry in some way, shape or form,” he said. “I fell in love with the industry, you know, a few years ago, and really dove head in.”

At World Liberty Financial, the Trump brothers are backing a stablecoin play aimed at competing with players like Tether. Eric Trump didn’t have a specific answer when asked how the project would stand out in a crowded field, saying only, “We’re gonna do it better, cheaper, faster, and we’re gonna do it with a lot of passion.”

Read more about tech and crypto from CNBC Pro

Meawhile, he’s working with Genoot to stand up American Bitcoin, a new mining venture that aims to scale quickly, and possibly go public.

Genoot told CNBC he connected with the Trump kids through mutual friends and began trading stories about their paths into crypto, leading to a business alliance.

Genoot said the company is being separated from Hut 8’s broader energy and artificial intelligence infrastructure platform.

“We’re actually carving out the majority of our assets,” Genoot said. “We’re putting them into American Bitcoin.”

Eric Trump, who is co-founder and chief strategy officer of American Bitcoin, said “every single sophisticated country is using their excess power to mine bitcoin.”

Though his family is closely linked to the current administration’s pro-crypto stance, Eric Trump said he has no role in policy and no contact with the White House. His dad’s presidency was heavily funded by the crypto industry and, since returning to the White House, President Trump has rewarded his backers, signing an executive order to create a strategic bitcoin reserve, and pardoning Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht as well as the three co-founders of the BitMEX crypto exchange.

“I don’t have anything to do with government, and frankly, I don’t want anything to do with government,” Eric Trump said.

But he made clear that the U.S. needs a regulatory framework that allows crypto to thrive.

“You better believe that China is running very hard at this. The entire Middle East is running very hard,” he said. “We won the space race. We better win the crypto race.”

WATCH: Eric Trump, Hut 8 CEO outline partnership to launch new bitcoin mining company

Eric Trump, Hut 8 CEO outline partnership to launch new bitcoin mining company: CNBC Crypto World

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Greenlane and Volvo’s bold plan to transform electric truck charging in the US

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Greenlane and Volvo’s bold plan to transform electric truck charging in the US

Greenlane is teaming up with Volvo Trucks North America to make charging heavy-duty electric vehicles (HDEVs) easier and more accessible.

The charging network developer is now integrated into Volvo’s Open Charge service, which gives Volvo customers streamlined access to Greenlane’s public chargers. This collaboration makes Greenlane the first official Charge Point Operator (CPO) in North America to partner with Volvo.

Greenlane is a joint venture between Daimler Truck North America, NextEra Energy, and BlackRock. It’s building a US-wide charging network for heavy-duty commercial vehicles, aiming to reduce costs and simplify switching to electric fleets.

Through Volvo Open Charge, Volvo customers now have real-time access to Greenlane’s network, which means easier access to public charging, centralized billing, and special perks. Fleets won’t have to spend big money on their charging infrastructure. Instead, they can plug into Greenlane’s growing network, which will help cut costs and operational headaches while extending range.

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Patrick Macdonald-King, Greenlane’s CEO, called the partnership “a first-of-its-kind collaboration to deliver public charging solutions tailored to the needs of medium- and heavy-duty fleets.” He said it’s all about making the shift to electric trucks smoother and keeping goods and services moving while progressing toward zero-emissions freight.

Greenlane’s flagship charging site is set to open in Colton, California, in April, with more than 40 publicly accessible chargers for everything from heavy-duty trucks to smaller electric vehicles. It’s part of a larger plan to build a network along the I-15 corridor, with stations roughly 60 to 90 miles apart. Future California locations are planned for Long Beach, Barstow, and Baker.

Greenlane and Volvo will continue integrating new membership features into Volvo Open Charge, such as booking reservations. By letting fleets tap into an existing public network, Greenlane’s services can make the transition to electric trucking less about building infrastructure and more about just getting trucks on the road.

Read more: Greenlane’s flagship electric charging truck stop to open in April


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