Key environmental groups endorse Biden despite approval of fossil fuel projects
U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the League of Conservation Voters annual dinner in Washington, U.S., June 14, 2023.
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
Four of the country’s largest environmental groups have endorsed President Joe Biden‘s reelection bid despite disapproval from climate activists over his administration’s support of fossil fuel plans, including the approval of an oil drilling project in Alaska and a natural gas pipeline in West Virginia.
The League of Conservation Voters, the Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council and NextGen America issued the unprecedented joint endorsement of Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday night during the league’s annual dinner event in Washington, D.C.
Speakers for the groups applauded the White House’s climate change agenda, including the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act and its $375 billion for clean energy and electric vehicles, the biggest climate bill in U.S. history. The law is projected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 1 billion tons by 2030.
Some smaller climate groups, however, are withholding their support and condemning the president for breaking his early campaign promise to end all oil and gas drilling on federal lands. The Biden administration has since mandated the sale of offshore drilling leases, sped up completion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline as part of a debt limit bill and approved a controversial Alaska drilling project called Willow.
Endorsing groups said that while they’ll continue to hold the administration accountable for fossil fuel projects, having Biden for a second term is critical for progress on other climate initiatives.
Climate activists gather to protest with demanding President Biden stop the Willow Project by unfurling a banner on the Lafayette Square in front of the White House on January 10, 2023 in Washington D.C., United States.
Celal Gunes | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Group members stressed the White House has done more to address the climate crisis and environmental injustice than any administration in U.S. history, and warned the alternative could be a Republican who would approve additional fossil fuel plans and jeopardize the country’s climate progress.
“President Biden has acted courageously during a critical inflection point in the climate fight,” said Ben Jealous, national executive director of the Sierra Club. “No other administration has done more to move us forward. The stakes could not be higher and the choice could not be more clear.”
While Biden has enacted an aggressive climate agenda, he’s also taken steps to boost fossil fuel production in order to placate Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Republicans who argue the climate agenda is endangering U.S. energy security.
During the dinner, Biden touted his climate record, adding that while there are a lot of threats facing “our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren,” climate change “is the only truly existential threat.”
“If we don’t meet the requirements that we’re looking at, we’re in real trouble,” the president warned the audience. “Together, we’ve made a lot of progress so far, but we’ve got to finish the job.”
U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the League of Conservation Voters annual dinner in Washington, U.S., June 14, 2023.
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
Biden has vowed to slash the country’s emissions in half by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. His federal agencies have proposed tougher limits on pollution from automobiles, trucks and power plants, marking the nation’s most ambitious climate regulations to date that would substantially curb emissions.
Early in office, Biden rejoined the Paris climate agreement, the landmark nonbinding accord among nations to reduce carbon emissions, and created the first-ever National Climate Task Force to implement a “whole of government” approach to mitigating climate change. His administration also vowed to deliver at least 40% of the benefits from federal investments in climate and clean energy to disadvantaged communities.
“President Biden’s climate leadership has been nothing short of historic,” Manish Bapna, president and CEO of the NRDC Action Fund, said in a statement. “His policies are already driving a heartland manufacturing renaissance with clean energy at its core, and he has worked to advance environmental justice.”
Former president Donald Trump, the front-runner in the 2024 Republican primary field, withdrew the U.S. from the Paris climate accord and weakened a slew of environmental regulations designed to reduce emissions and protect the country’s air, land and water.
The four endorsing groups collectively represent millions of members and activists in every state across the country, with campaigns that have invested millions of dollars in previous elections.
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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