U.S. was right — Europe has become a ‘hostage’ to Russia over energy, analysts warn

Published

4 years ago

October 7, 2021

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Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin back in 2011.

FABRICE COFFRINI | AFP | Getty Images

LONDON – After Russia rode to Europe’s rescue and offered to increase gas supplies to the region amid soaring prices, experts said one thing had become abundantly clear: Europe is now largely at Russia’s mercy when it comes to energy, just as the U.S. had warned.

Natural gas contracts hit new highs in Europe this week — and regional benchmark prices are up almost 500% so far this year — with heightened demand and a squeeze in supply putting pressure on the energy sector as the weather turns colder.

Prices seesawed on Wednesday, hitting new highs before retreating after Russian President Vladimir Putin stepped in, offering an increase in Russia’s gas supplies to Europe.

Market analysts said the move showed that Europe was increasingly vulnerable to Russia, which is waiting for Germany to certify the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project which will bring more Russian gas to Europe via the Baltic Sea.

The $11 billion pipeline has now been completed much to the annoyance of the U.S. which has long-opposed the project, warning for years during its construction that it compromises Europe’s energy security and that Russia could seek to use energy supplies as leverage over the region.

The Obama and Trump administrations galvanized bipartisan opinion against the pipeline and President Joe Biden too announced sanctions against companies involved in the project, but these were waived in May in what was seen as an attempt by the U.S. to rebuild ties with Germany.

‘Energy blackmail’

“Europe has now left itself hostage to Russia over energy supplies,” said Timothy Ash, emerging markets senior sovereign strategist at Bluebay Asset Management, in a research note Wednesday, calling the situation “unbelievable.”

“[It’s] crystal clear that Russia has Europe (the EU and U.K.) in an energy headlock, and Europe (and the U.K.) are too weak to call it out and do anything about it,” he said, calling it a form of “energy blackmail.”

“Europe is cowering as it fears [that] as it heads into winter Russia will further turn the screws (of energy pipelines off) and allow it to freeze until it gets its way and NS2 is certified.”

Putin used a televised government meeting on Wednesday to offer an increase in supplies to Europe. He also chided the region for canceling many of its long-term gas contracts in exchange for spot deals, saying the Kremlin was ready to negotiate new long-term contracts for gas sales.

Many experts believe that Russia has withheld gas supplies to Europe on purpose, in a bid to speed up Germany’s certification of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. Russia has refuted this, however, with Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov denying on Wednesday that Russia has had any role in Europe’s energy crisis.

Nonetheless, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak noted on Wednesday that the expected German certification of the controversial pipeline could help cool prices.

Specialists pose for a picture after welding the last pipe of the Nord Stream 2 gas subsea pipeline onboard the laybarge Fortuna in German waters in the Baltic Sea, September 6, 2021.

Axel Schmidt | Nord Stream 2 | via Reuters

Seeking a speedy certification for Nord Stream 2, Ash believed, had been “Moscow’s game plan all along” adding that “markets are really naive if they think Moscow will do anything to ease the European gas crisis anytime before NS2 is certified.”

Germany’s energy regulator shows no sign of certifying the pipeline just yet, saying on Tuesday that the pipeline must show it would not break competition rules by limiting which suppliers used it, according to Reuters, and fines could be dealt out if it started pumping Russian gas to Germany without securing necessary approvals.

Mike Fulwood, senior research fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, agreed that any decision to supply more gas to Europe by Russia was “political” and tied to the certification of the pipeline.

“Basically, [the situation for Russia is] if you approve Nord Stream 2, we’ll get some gas to send down Nord Stream 2 to show we were true to our word,” he told CNBC Thursday.

Bilal Hafeez, CEO and head of research at Macro Hive, told CNBC’s “Street Signs” on Thursday that he also believed Russia was using the situation to its advantage.

“I do think Russia has used this energy crisis to take advantage of the situation here and to try to force an acceleration in the use of the pipeline and in some ways there’s some evidence to suggest they might have held back supply through pipelines through Ukraine, in order for Germany and the EU to accelerate the use of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.”

EU wary

Soaring prices have placed the issue at the top of the EU agenda with leaders calling for more energy independence — given nearly 90% of the bloc’s supplies are imported, with Russia one of the primary sources of imports along with Norway, according to European Commission data.

The pipeline has critics in Europe, with Ukraine hurt and angry at the pipeline deal with Russia, as it means its own pipelines are bypassed and it will lose valuable gas transit fees as a result. Poland too, feeling vulnerable from a more assertive neighbor Russia, says the pipeline only serves to strengthen Russia.

In July, they issued a joint statement in which they slammed the pipeline, saying “the decision to build Nord Stream 2 made in 2015 mere months after Russia’s invasion and illegal annexation of Ukrainian territory, created security, credibility and political crisis in Europe.”

Europe’s gas supply has long been a thorny subject. It has often soured relations between the U.S. and EU, with the former chastising Germany (the EU’s largest importer of Russian gas, even before the NS2 pipeline) for signing up to the gas project with Russia.

Experts see the battle over Europe’s gas supply as something of a proxy war between the U.S. and Russia, with both vying to gain market share in the region with their supply of natural gas (Russia) and liquefied natural gas (the U.S.)

Experts agree that Europe needs to diversify its sources of energy away from Russia.

“The more Europe diversifies its supply the less risk there is,” Fulwood said, adding that there were attempts to source an increasing amount of LNG from the U.S. “We’ve seen in the last few years a big increase in liquefied natural gas imports in Europe, notably from the U.S. market,” he noted.

Commenting on the wider gas market and supply constraints affecting other gas producers around the world, Fulwood described the situation that gas markets were experiencing as “a perfect storm of demand recovery from Covid and a tight supply situation.”

“There’s been a temporary lack of supply and some of those logistics will start to ease but it won’t be ’til next year so for the next few months we’re really at the mercy of the weather,” he said.

Environment

Inflation is back – but not here! These EVs are actually CHEAPER for 2026

Published

8 hours ago

September 7, 2025

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Inflation is back – but not here! These EVs are actually CHEAPER for 2026

These Cars Actually Got Cheaper for 2026

Inflation is back, with prices rising 2.7% compared to last year (and that doesn’t include food, fuel, or rent, which are up even more), which is objectively bad. But it’s not true that everything is getting more expensive. These inflation-busting EVs are heading into 2026 with prices that are lower than they were in 2025!

There’s plenty of reasons for prices to go up or down in a market – everything from tariffs and taxes and increased domestic production to changes in inflation or even just a manufacturerwillingness to take a smaller profit on per-unit sales in order to drive volume. There’s a little bit of all of that happening in the American EV market this year, especially in the face of the expiring Federal EV tax credit that kind of makes most EVs cost $7,500 more than they would have otherwise.

That said, as I was putting this list together, I realized there were plenty of ways for me to present these MY26 price cuts. “Best deals?” Too opinion-based. “Biggest discounts by percentage?” Too much math. In the end, I went with alphabetical order, by make. Enjoy!

Cadillac OPTIQ

Cadillac is the industry’s luxury EV leader these days – and for good reason. Its electric crossovers are good-looking, have long range, great acceleration, and ultra-fast charging. Heck, they can even power your home in a pinch.

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Even so, the powers that be at GM are worried about how their EV sales will fare in an American without a $7,500 Federal EV tax credit, so they’re offering a rear-wheel-drive version of the OPTIQ crossover with 300 miles of range for the 2026 model year with a starting price that’s nearly $2,000 lower than the least-expensive 2025.

Chevy Silverado EV

Silverado EV hauling a John Deere tractor; via GM.

Chevy is crushing it right now. After setting EV range records and surpassing Ford in EV sales this semmer, Chevy is now the fastest-growing domestic EV brand in the US – and they’re seemingly intent on keeping that momentum into 2026 with a more affordable WT trim level that starts at $54,895, compared to $57,095 for the ’25 WT Standard Range.

The financial picture is looking rosier at the top of the Silverado EV model range, too. The range-topping model for 2026 is the $88,695 Trail Boss, while the $97,895 RST Max Range topped the 2025 lineup.

Mercedes-Benz EQS

These Cars Are Losing Value So Fast It’s Almost Impressive — 2023 EQS, via Mercedes-Benz.

Despite being objectively capable, technologically-advanced, and supremely luxurious long-range electric vehicles, the Mercedes EQS and EQS SUVs were saddled with a somewhat anonymous, jellybean-like styling language that’s seen the flagship EVs struggle to find a foothold in the ultra-luxury segment they inhabit.

To that end, Mercedes kicked off its 2025 with big discounts on its in-stock EQS and EQS SUVs, and is responding to lower-than-expected market demand by reducing the cars’ MSRPs. In the case of the EQS SUV, by an inflation-busting $15,000 (!).

Toyota bZ

For 2026, Toyota has axed the bZ4X name and added a raft of both functional and cosmetic improvements to its five-passenger electric crossover, including body color fenders, up to 25% more range, and – thanks to a new thermal management system and battery preconditioning – a bigger battery that can charge from 10-80% capacity in about thirty minutes.

Even with those upgrades, the new and improved 2026 Toyota bZ is cheaper than the outgoing bZ4X, starting at $34,900 – or $2,170 less than the outgoing model.

Disclaimer: the prices above were sourced from CarsDirect, Motor1, and a number OEM websites. All offers were current as of 07SEP2025, and all links provided are from trusted affiliates. These prices may not be available in every market, with every discount, or for every buyer (the standard “with approved credit” fine print should be considered implied). Check with your local dealer(s) for more information.

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Environment

Sennebogen 824 G Electro Battery material handler promises 24/7 power

Published

11 hours ago

September 7, 2025

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Sennebogen 824 G Electro Battery material handler promises 24/7 power

Sennebogen’s new 824 G Electro Battery material handler is being put through its paces at a recycling site in Munich’s Aubing district. And, thanks to its innovative grid-connected/battery system, it never has to stop to recharge!

With its emphasis on the recycling of stainless steel, ferroalloys, and superalloys, CRONIMET Alpha’s recycling operations are loud, and adding the ceaseless drone of diesel engines straining against the mass of all that metal as it’s sorted and fed into bailing presses. That’s why the company was so excited to test out Sennebogen’s new, all-electric 824 G Electro Battery material handler during an extensive trial at its Munich site.

So far, CRONIMET’s operators have been impressed with the new Sennebogen. “The battery-powered machine drives just like a diesel-powered one,” explains equipment operator Zoran Alexsic. “You don’t notice any difference in power – only that everything runs much more smoothly and quietly … you don’t have to take breaks to escape the noise.”

Quiet, but powerful

The Sennebogen 824 G comes standard with a 98 kWh battery, but operators can install up to four modular packs for a total of 392 kWh and roughly eight hours of runtime. Even with a single pack—good for 1.5 to 3 hours—the machine can keep CRONIMET’s operations running almost nonstop, thanks to its built-in dual power mode.

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Sennebogen’s dual power mode enables the 824 G to run on battery while drawing power from the grid at the same time. When connected to grid power, the machine can recharge its batteries as it works, eliminating the downtime other BEVs need for charging and giving operators the freedom to reposition the machine on battery power, then plug back in when convenient.

Beyond flexibility, the electric handler is also cleaner, quieter, and more cost-effective than the diesel models it’s designed to replace. By seamlessly cycling between battery and grid power, it reduces both noise on the job site and energy costs during peak hours.

Electrek’s Take

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Drop the beat; via Sennebogen.

We’ve seen grid-connected equipment assets like this before, and with good reason. Simply put, it takes many more kilowatts of energy to dig up tons and tons of dirt and rocks than it does to send an aerodynamically smoothed sedan down a road. That’s why you still see a push towards hydrogen and other energy-dense fuels in construction – but permanently grid connected assets, whether wired or inductive, could solve for some of the limitations of batteries on job sites that can support them.

If the 824 G Electro Battery is a commercial success, expect Sennebogen to roll out more grid-connected options in the years to come.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Sennebogen.

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Environment

MINI x Deus Ex Machina Skeg electric concept lightens the mood

Published

1 day ago

September 6, 2025

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MINI x Deus Ex Machina Skeg electric concept lightens the mood

MINI JCW x Deus Ex Machina: Two worlds. Two cars. Singular enthusiasm.

MINI has partnered with lifestyle brand, Deus Ex Machina, to develop this. It’s called the Skeg, and it’s a high-performance, racing-inspired electric concept car that’s sure to lighten the mood – by shedding fully 15% of its mass in the quest for speed.

One of a pair of exclusive, one-off concepts based on MINI’s John Cooper Works cars. The Deus Ex Machina Skeg celebrates MINI’s storied racing history with what the company calls, “a clean, minimal, and quiet rebellion,” that draws on materials, technologies, and philosophies from the world of surfing.

The electric MINI JCW Skeg is stripped to its essentials, with much of the steel and aluminum bits replaced with lightweight fiberglass to maximize acceleration while driving the minimalist aesthetic home. The end result weighs 15% less than the standard car – but makes the same stout 190 kW (258 hp) as the production car.

Surf’s up

The interior is stripped back to the barest essentials, reflecting BMW’s vision of a surf culture that prioritizes function over form. MINI claims the end result resembles a mobile surf shop, with fiberglass trays for wetsuits, specially shaped bins, neoprene seats, and other touches that “bring the surf culture into the interior.”

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For their part, the BMW and MINI styling team seems pretty proud of its minimalistic electric endeavor. “In this extraordinary collaboration … every single detail has been crafted with artisanal precision and expertise,” says Holger Hampf, Head of MINI Design. “This has resulted in unique characters that are clearly perceived as belonging together through their distinctive design language and use of graphics.”

The concept retains the production version’s 54.2 kWh li-ion battery pack, up to 250 of WLTP range with the production aero kit, sprints from 0-100 km (62 mph) in just 5.9 seconds. With 15% less mass, though, that should jump to more than 255 miles, with 0-60 times dropping below 5.5 seconds.

I dig it – but I’d skip the surf bits and just appreciate the raw composite, minimalist interior look for what it is. Take a look at the image gallery, below, then let us know what you think of MINI’s Skeg concept in the comments.

MINI Skeg concept | gallery

SOURCE | IMAGES: BMW MINI.

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