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OPEC Secretary General Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo (L), Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman (C) and Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak (R) attend an Opec-JMMC meeting in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi on September 12, 2019.
KARIM SAHIB | AFP via Getty Images

LONDON — Oil producer group OPEC has been plunged into crisis, with bitter infighting between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates raising questions about the future of the energy alliance.

OPEC and non-OPEC partners, a group of some of the world’s most powerful oil producers, abruptly abandoned plans to reconvene on Monday after last week’s meetings unexpectedly failed to broker a deal on oil production policy. The group did not set a new date to resume talks.

It means no agreement has been reached on a possible increase in crude production beyond the end of July, leaving oil markets in a state of limbo just as global fuel demand recovers from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

“OPEC+ has been thrown its most serious crisis since last year’s ill-fated price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia,” Helima Croft, head of global commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets, said in a research note.

“Back-channel talks reportedly are continuing, but questions about UAE’s commitment to remaining in OPEC will likely grow in the coming days.”

The UAE-Saudi dispute appeared to be about more than oil policy, Croft said, with Abu Dhabi “seemingly intent on stepping outside Saudi Arabia’s shadow and charting its own course in global affairs.”

The pandemic held them together and now the post pandemic is breaking them apart.
John Kilduff
Founding partner at Again Capital

OPEC+, which is dominated by Middle East crude producers, agreed to implement massive crude production cuts in 2020 in an effort to support oil prices when the coronavirus pandemic coincided with a historic fuel demand shock.

Led by Saudi Arabia, a close ally of the UAE, OPEC+ has met monthly to decide on production policy.

OPEC solidarity ‘dissolved’

The disarray comes after OPEC+ on Friday voted on a proposal to increase oil production by roughly 2 million barrels per day between August and the end of the year in 400,000 barrels per day monthly installments. It also proposed to extend the remaining output cuts to the end of 2022.

The plans were rejected by the UAE, however, which wants a higher baseline to its quota to allow for more domestic production.

“No agreement was reached and as we stand now the OPEC+ alliance, if it is still the right word to describe the group, will produce at the July level for the rest of the year,” Tamas Varga, oil analyst at PVM Oil Associates, said in a research note.

“The [non-] outcome of the meeting re-writes the supply-demand landscape for the near and potentially for the distant future,” he added.

The rare public stand-off between the UAE and Saudi Arabia saw energy ministers from both countries engaging in a media blitz over the weekend to outline their respective positions.

“For us, it wasn’t a good deal,” UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail Al Mazrouei told CNBC’s Hadley Gamble on Sunday. He added that while the country was willing to support a short-term increase in oil supply, it wants better terms through 2022.

Speaking to the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television channel on Sunday, Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman called for “compromise and rationality” in order to reach a deal on Monday, Reuters reported.

Separately, a White House spokesperson reportedly said on Monday that President Joe Biden’s administration was pushing for a “compromise solution.” The U.S. is not a member of OPEC (which stands for the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) but it has been closely monitoring the latest round of talks given their potential impact on crude markets into next year.

The OPEC logo pictured ahead of an informal meeting between members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Algiers, Algeria.
Ramzi Boudina | Reuters

Responding to the news that the OPEC+ meeting had been adjourned without a deal on Monday, John Kilduff, a founding partner at Again Capital, said: “The Opec solidarity dissolved today.”

“The pandemic held them together and now the post pandemic is breaking them apart. The UAE is sticking to their guns on wanting their baseline raised. They want to be able to produce more,” he told CNBC via email.

“Now the fun starts as to who breaks away,” Kilduff said, noting the UAE could be the “first domino” to fall.

OPEC was not immediately available to respond to a request for comment when contacted by CNBC on Tuesday.

Oil prices climb to multi-year highs

The news pushed oil prices to their highest level in nearly three years. International benchmark Brent crude futures traded at $77.65 a barrel on Tuesday morning, up 0.6% for the session, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures stood at $76.62, around 2% higher.

Oil prices rallied more than 45% in the first half of the year, supported by the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines, a gradual easing of lockdown measures and massive production cuts from OPEC+.

Samuel Burman, assistant commodities economist at Capital Economics, said OPEC producers were likely to increase oil production above quota next month as member states “seek to take advantage” of higher oil prices.

In addition to a rift between the UAE and Saudi Arabia, he said Abu Dhabi was probably “somewhat irritated” that Russia hadn’t been complying with OPEC’s production quotas.

Burman said non-OPEC leader Russia hadn’t introduced any compensatory cuts at all and was currently overproducing by around 100,000 barrels per day. “We think that this spat involving the UAE increases the chances that the entire agreement falls apart which would clearly pose a downside risk to our near-term price forecasts.”

— CNBC’s Patti Domm contributed to this report.

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Everrati rebrands B2B EV conversion arm to ‘Powered by Everrati’ amid clientele increase

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Everrati rebrands B2B EV conversion arm to 'Powered by Everrati' amid clientele increase

EV conversion specialist Everrati announced reshuffling its business-to-business (B2B) strategy, rebranding the division as “Powered by Everrati.” The branding partially results from increased customers to the B2B division, which is reporting encouraging year-over-year growth.

Everrati Automotive Ltd. is a UK-based restoration company that has expanded its business to the US. It specializes in EV conversions of timeless classics like Porsche 911s and Land Rovers. Most of our previous coverage of Everrati has focused on said conversions, including an all-electric Mercedes SL “Pagoda” and a Land Rover Defender designed to be stored on a yacht.

However, in addition to its own EV revamps, Everrati shares its proprietary technology to help other businesses go all-electric. In July 2022, we reported that the company had established a new B2B division called Everrati Advanced Technologies (EAT). The goal at the time was to provide high-tech consultancy services to clients, from initial concept and feasibility studies, through scalable low-volume production of EV conversions.

Everrati said EAT would initially focus on low-volume luxury vehicle conversions, aiding in every step of the process from design, development, engineering, and production consulting to help its customers create any bespoke powertrain design they want.

Nearly two years later, Everrati is reporting increased interest in its B2B EV conversions and is now pivoting that division to support said growth.

Everrati conversion
Source: Everrati

Businesses can utilize “Powered by Everrati” conversions

Similar to its predecessor, the newly branded “Powered by Everrati” division utilizes the conversion specialist’s electric powertrain and software technology to offer clients a turnkey solution that comes with support throughout the entire process.

At this point, in its development of EV conversion technology, Everrati is confident that its powertrains will reduce development and launch timelines, risks, and overall costs. The company explained that clients also gain access to Everrati’s in-house-developed Vehicle Control Unit (VCU) architecture, which can reduce the cost of new electric vehicle programs by up to 70%.

Such technology and savings have piqued the interest of new clients all around the globe, as Everrati states its contract signings have increased 200% year-over-year. Everrati founder and CEO Justin Lunny spoke to the expanded EV conversion division and what it means for the company’s overall strategy in the future:

I’m proud to announce the new name for our B2B division: Powered by Everrati. Our pipeline is brimming with opportunities as specialist and luxury brands, Low Volume Manufacturers, and OEM ‘classic divisions’ wishing to bring their heritage into the future, seek to swiftly create new, or electrify existing vehicles. With 70% of all new cars in Europe expected to be pure electric by 2030, momentum is really accelerating. Our ability to deliver bespoke EV projects efficiently positions us as the go-to partner for businesses aiming to transition to zero-emission solutions. Everrati continues to grow from solid foundations, driven by our commitment to providing customers with complete, turnkey cutting-edge EV solutions.

Our unique business proposition empowers clients to swiftly embrace zero-emission technology, while our B2C business flourishes globally in response to increasing demand. Indeed, with so many redefined customer commissions from our Porsche, Land Rover and Mercedes-Benz based product portfolio having been delivered worldwide, these completed OEM-grade vehicles visibly demonstrate to our B2B clients the boundaries we are pushing and the unparalleled results that can be achieved.

Everrati is not sharing specifically who any of its B2B clients are at this time.

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Hyundai to add hybrids at EV-only plant as rising demand throws a curveball

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Hyundai to add hybrids at EV-only plant as rising demand throws a curveball

Following similar announcements from rivals, Hyundai is adding more hybrids to its lineup as a bridge to its next-gen EVs. Hyundai will add hybrid production lines at its dedicated EV plant in Georgia as demand rises.

Hyundai adds hybrids at its new dedicated EV plant

Hyundai is shaking things up after initially announcing plans to build a $5.5B EV assembly and battery plant in Bryan County, GA.

After hybrids accounted for a larger share of sales in the first quarter, Hyundai plans to add hybrid production at the facility. “It is because we need to cope with sharply rising hybrid demand,” A Hyundai executive said on the company’s Q1 earnings call (via Nikkei Asia).

Hyundai’s EV sales share fell in all major markets in the first three months of 2024 compared to last year, including Korea (4.4% vs. 9%), the US (5.5% vs. 6.6%), and Europe (10.7% vs. 15.9%).

Meanwhile, hybrids accounted for a larger portion of sales in Korea (21% vs. 14.7%), the US (10.9% vs. 10.4%), and Europe (15.7% vs. 15.2%).

Hyundai-hybrids
Hyundai Q1 2024 sales by region (Source: Hyundai)

Overall, EVs accounted for 4.5% (vs 6.5% in Q1 2023) of the brand’s sales, while hybrids held 9.7% of the share (vs 8.2%). Hyundai’s total auto sales fell 1.5% to 1 million in Q1.

Hyundai is expected to begin production at its GA plant in Q4. The automaker believes electric models, like the IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 6, will qualify for the federal EV tax credit, which should help boost demand.

Hyundai-hybrids
Hyundai IONIQ 5 (left) and IONIQ 6 (right) at Tesla Supercharger (Source: Hyundai)

Once up and running, Hyundai’s Metaplant will be able to build 300,000 EVs annually, which can be expanded to 500,000 if needed.

Hyundai’s first three-row electric SUV, the IONIQ 9, will debut soon. It’s expected to be introduced later this year as Hyundai looks to boost sales in key segments.

Electrek’s Take

The news comes as several automakers, like Ford, GM, and even sister company Kia, announced similar plans to introduce more hybrids to their lineups.

Despite this, Hyundai’s EV sales are still climbing in key markets. Hyundai’s EV sales doubled in March in the US, its most important market, with Q1 sales up 62%, also a record.

Hyundai Motor America CEO Randy Parker assured, “Demand for our vehicles, especially EVs, remains high.” The Korean automaker looks to satisfy the growing demand for hybrids with added production in GA.

Hyundai already has some of the cheapest EVs in the US, with the Hyundai Kona Electric (starting under $33,00), the IONIQ 6 (starting at $37,500), and IONIQ 5 (starting at $41,800).

To sweeten the deal, Hyundai is offering a massive $7,500 cash offer that can bring prices down to nearly nothing. If you’re in the market for a new EV, now may be the best time to get started. You can use our links below to find deals on Hyundai EVs at a dealer near you.

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Middle East escalation could trigger oil price shock that fuels inflation, World Bank warns

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Middle East escalation could trigger oil price shock that fuels inflation, World Bank warns

A general view of Isfahan Refinery, one of the largest refineries in Iran and is considered as the first refinery in the country in terms of diversity of petroleum products in Isfahan, Iran on November 08, 2023. 

Fatemeh Bahrami | Anadolu | Getty Images

The outbreak of a major conflict in the Middle East could trigger an energy shock that pushes oil prices above $100 a barrel, fuels inflation and results in higher interest rates for longer, the World Bank warned Thursday.

Tensions in the Middle East reached a boiling point earlier this month as Israel and OPEC member Iran appeared on the brink of war, raising fears that crude oil supplies could be disrupted as a consequence.

The governments in Jerusalem and Tehran appear to have decided against escalation after exchanging direct strikes on each other’s territory for the first time. Oil prices have pulled back nearly 4% from recent highs as investors have discounted the probability of a wider war in the region.

The World Bank, however, cautioned that the situation remains uncertain.

“The world is at a vulnerable moment: A major energy shock could undermine much of the progress in reducing inflation over the past two years,” said World Bank Chief Economist Indermit Gill.

Oil Prices, Energy News and Analysis

Oil prices could average $102 per barrel if a conflict involving one or more oil producers in the Middle East results in a supply disruption of 3 million barrels per day, according to the World Bank’s latest commodity markets outlook report. An price shock of this magnitude could stall the fight against inflation almost entirely, according to the report.

Global inflation cooled by 2% between 2022 and 2023 largely due to commodity prices plunging nearly 40%, according to the World Bank. Commodity prices are now plateauing with the global financial institution forecasting modest declines of 3% this year and 4% in 2025.

“Global inflation remains undefeated,” Gill said. “A key force for disinflation — falling commodity prices — has essentially hit a wall. That means interest rates could remain higher than currently expected this year and next.”

While the conflict in the Middle East presents upside pricing risks, the world could see relief if OPEC+ decides to start unwinding its production cuts this year. Oil prices would fall to an average $81 a barrel if the cartel brings 1 million barrels per day back onto the market in the second half of the year, according to the World Bank.

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