Putin’s war on energy is testing solidarity between EU nations
Putin’s war on energy is testing solidarity between EU nations
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Russia’s continuing war in Ukraine is causing a “very, very challenging” situation in Europe, which is testing its countries’ solidarity not only in how they react to Putin’s aggression, but also in how they deal with the aftereffects.
The conflict’s impacts on energy have rippled across Europe: Germany has scrambled to bolster its natural gas storage, French President Emmanuel Macron has encouraged people to cut their gas usage by 10% ahead of winter, and Italy is looking to scale back gas consumption by 7%.
“We have never experienced such a challenging experience,” Paolo Gentiloni, the EU’s economics commissioner, told CNBC on Oct. 12.
“I’m calling [for] European action, European solidarity, because the experience we had in the previous crisis … was that acting together, responding together, you are not only able to avoid divisions among European countries but you have a strong, strong reaction,” Gentiloni said, referring to the unanimous, albeit “slow” procurement and rollout of Covid-19 vaccines in 2021.
Gentiloni also referred to a “common tool” that could be used across the EU to help member states combat the energy crisis.
“I’m not calling for further common debt,” Gentiloni highlights, “because we have a big common debt for what we call next generation EU. I’m calling for a common tool based on loans to face the emergency that we have,” he said.
Divisions in the ranks?
But divisions are starting to show in how countries are approaching the energy crisis.
Poland, Belgium, Italy and Greece are among the countries proposing a gas “price corridor” across Europe in an attempt to tackle soaring prices.
The gas price corridor, “should act as a circuit breaker and disincentive to speculation. It is not meant to suppress prices at an artificially low level,” according to a draft proposal, as reported by Reuters.
But other countries, including Germany, are thought to oppose the plan over fears that capping prices could have negative impacts on energy security.
The corridor is thought to have been discussed on Oct. 7, but no further details have been released.
Meanwhile, Germany has already put provisions in place as winter approaches.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced a 200 billion euro ($193 billion) package to subsidize basic consumption for households and small and medium-sized companies on Sept. 30.
But Germany working independently of the wider European community has prompted questions over the country’s commitment to a unified response to the energy crisis, with fears that the package could have a negative impact on the country’s neighbors.
When asked whether Germany should commit to not buying energy ahead of other European countries, Gentiloni said that would be “a very good move.”
“I would say not only for Germany, [but also] for Italy, for other countries that are understandably on their own in looking for energy sources, alternative[s] to Russian fossil fuels,” Gentolini said.
“I’m not criticizing Germany,” Gentiloni emphasized, “but asking for something more from the EU.”
Others have been more direct in their disapproval of Germany’s role in Europe’s energy crisis, including Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.
“This is our collective problem,” Morawiecki said, “it cannot be so, that one country, which is the richest and the most developed in Europe like Germany … can block everything which is now happening,” he said, referring to the proposed gas corridor.
“We don’t want to be patronized by some countries which then behave in a completely different way than they were expected to do just before,” he told CNBC’s Charlotte Reed in an exclusive interview on Oct. 6.
Poland’s Finance Minister, Magdalena Rzeczkowska, took a more balanced approach, saying that while Europe should try to “find common solutions for all” that won’t “disturb the equal playing field in Europe,” she could understand why countries may put forward their own proposals.
“The energy discussions are taking too long,” Rzeczkowska told CNBC’s Geoff Cutmore at the 2022 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group in Washington, D.C.
“Poland is [also] doing our own programs, our own solutions, because we cannot wait. But still, we need to be strong, we need to have a coordinated approach,” she said.
Eurogroup President Pascal Donohoe said he too could understand why countries are bringing forward their own policies rather than waiting for an approach with EU-wide approval.
“Every single government is looking at the right measures for their own governments,” he said, also speaking from Washington.
IMF chief economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas said he was unable to comment on whether Germany’s plan would work as “we don’t have details yet.”
While specifics have yet to be released, the plans are set to run until 2024, and include electricity and gas price brakes, reactivation of the Economic Stabilisation Fund, which was used to bail out Lufthansa during the pandemic, and a reduction of gas VAT.
Following approval from Transport Canada, EV startup Workhorse will be bringing the W56 and W750 model electric delivery vans to commercial truck dealers in Canada as early as this spring.
Workhorse first showed its W56 medium-duty electric truck at Indiana’s Work Truck Week in 2023, and has sold the trucks to logistics and delivery companies like FedEx and Pride Group – which ordered more than six thousand of the electric vans in 2021, and continues to expand its fleet.
“This is a major step forward for Workhorse,” says Josh Anderson, Workhorse’s chief technology officer in a press statement. “Pre-clearance from Transport Canada opens up a large new market for our products throughout Canada, including with fleets that operate across borders in North America.”
As part of the approval process, Workhorse completed its registration as a foreign manufacturer under Transport Canada’s Appendix G clearance program. Transport Canada confirmed the vans’ compliance with Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS) for both vehicles – but it remains to be seen if and how the latest tariff-driven trade war between the Trump Administration’s US and Canada will impact Workhorse’s plans to expand throughout North America.
Despite that uncertainty, Workhorse execs remain upbeat. “We’re excited that our electric step vans can now reach Canadian roads and highways, providing reliable, zero-emission solutions that customers can depend on,” added Anderson.
Canadian pricing has yet to be announced.
Electrek’s Take
There’s no other way to say it: the Trump/Musk co-presidency is disrupting a lot of companies’ plans – and that’s especially true across North American borders. But in all this chaos and turmoil there undoubtedly lies opportunity, and it will be interesting to see who ends up on top.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Workhorse, via Electric Autonomy Canada.
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![Liebherr developing giant, 140-ton Segway-style autonomous haulers [video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/operational-area-earth-moving-copy.jpg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
The new Liebherr S1 Vision 140-ton hauler is unlike any heavy haul truck currently on the market – primarily because the giant, self-propelled, single-axle autonomous bucket doesn’t look anything like any truck you’ve ever seen.
Liebherr says its latest heavy equipment concept was born from a desire to rethink truck design with a focus only on core functions. The resulting S1 Vision is primarily just a single axle with two powerful electric motors sending power to a pair of massive airless tires designed carry loads up to 131 tonnes (just over 140 tons).
The design enables rapid maintenance, as important components easily accessible for quick servicing. Wear parts can be replaced efficiently, and the electric drive significantly reduces maintenance work. This helps to minimise downtimes and increases operational efficiency.
LIEBHERR
Because of its versatility, durability, and ability to perform zero-turn maneuvers that other equipment simply can’t, the Liebherr S1 Vision can be adapted for various applications, including earthmoving, mining, and even agriculture. There’s also a nonzero chance of this technology finding applications supporting other on-site equipment through charging or fuel delivery.
The S1 accomplishes that trick safely with the help of an automatic load leveling system that ensures maximum stability, even on bumpy or rough terrain. The company says this technology significantly reduces the risk of tipping while providing smooth and secure operation across various environments.
Liebherr will show the S1 Vision at this year’s bauma equipment exhibition in Munich, Germany. The design has already been nominated for the bauma Innovation Award in the Mechanical Engineering category – and my money’s on it winning.
Electrek’s Take
This is such goofy, stupid fun that if it was wheelbarrow-sized I’d have three of them. I can’t imagine the insanity of watching one of these things roll across a job site with 100 tons of granite in the bucket – and will have nightmares about the kind of damage it could do if it flipped out like a poorly made Chinese hoverboard clone whipping a toddler across a living room … which, in fairness, would probably get a billion views on Instagram or TikTok or whatever.
I can’t wait.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Liebherr.
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The HD arm of Hyundai has just released the first official images of the new, battery-electric HX19e mini excavator – the first ever production electric excavator from the global South Korean manufacturer.
The HX19e will be the first all-electric asset to enter series production at Hyundai Construction Equipment, with manufacturing set to begin this April.
The new HX19e will be offered with either a 32 kWh or 40 kWh li-ion battery pack – which, according to Hyundai, is nearly double the capacity offered by its nearest competitor (pretty sure that’s not correct –Ed.). The 40kWh battery allows for up to 6 hours and 40 minutes of continuous operation between charges, with a break time top-up on delivering full shift usability.
Those batteries send power to a 13 kW (17.5 hp) electric motor that drives an open-center hydraulic system. Hyundai claims the system delivers job site performance that is at least equal to, if not better than, that of its diesel-powered HX19A mini excavator.
To that end, the Hyundai XH19e offers the same 16 kN bucket breakout force and a slightly higher 9.4 kN (just over 2100 lb-ft) dipper arm breakout force. The maximum digging depth is 7.6 feet, and the maximum digging reach is 12.9 feet. Hyundai will offer the new electric excavator with just four selectable options:
- enclosed cab vs. open canopy
- 32 or 40 kWh battery capacity
All HX19es will ship with a high standard specification that includes safety valves on the main boom, dipper arm, and dozer blade hydraulic cylinders, as well as two-way auxiliary hydraulic piping allows the machine to be used with a range of commercially available implements. The hydraulics needed to operate a quick coupler, LED booms lights, rotating beacons, an MP3 radio with USB connectivity, and an operator’s seat with mechanical suspension are also standard.
Like its counterparts at Volvo CE, the new Hyundai excavator uses automotive-style charging ports to take advantage of existing infrastructure at fleet depots and public charging stations. More detailed specifications, dimensions, and pricing should be announced by bauma.
Electrek’s Take
The ability to operate indoors, underground, or in environments like zoos and hospitals were keeping noise levels down is of critical importance to the success of an operation makes electric equipment assets like these coming from Hyundai a must-have for fleet operators and construction crews that hope to remain competitive in the face of ever-increasing noise regulations. The fact that these are cleaner, safer, and cheaper to operate is just icing on that cake.
SOURCE | IMAGES: HD Hyundai; via Construction Index, Equipment World.
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