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Manufacturers have invested billions in US EV and EV battery factories in the last year – here’s how it breaks down.

US EV investments

The passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in August 2022 has served as a catalyst for rapid EV-related investment and job growth, and a newly released report from the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and engineering and design firm WSP USA breaks it down.

Since President Joe Biden signed the IRA into law, manufacturers have made more than $92.4 billion of concrete investments in EV and EV battery factories in the US.

And in the same time frame, more than 80,000 new direct US EV-related jobs have been announced. Some of these new jobs are for facilities that are already operating, and others are based on company announcements and are in the pipeline.

EDF researchers also noted rapid growth in US production capacity over the last six months. By 2026, US EV manufacturing facilities will be able to make about 4.7 million new passenger EVs annually – that represents 36% of all new vehicles sold last year. And by 2027, US facilities alone will be able to produce enough batteries to supply 12.2 million new passenger EVs each year, which represents 95% of new vehicles sold last year.

Where the EV factories are in the US

Just 10 states account for 88% of investments – and interestingly, a number of states in the top 10 are Republican-controlled. (No Republicans voted in support of the IRA.) The top 3 are:

  • Georgia, with $31.5 billion in EV investments and 33,600 jobs
  • Michigan, with $18.9 billion in investment and 19,700 jobs
  • Tennessee, with $18.4 billion in investments and 20,500 jobs

The next four states have more than $10 billion each in announced investments: South Carolina, Nevada, Kentucky, and North Carolina. Each now has between 10,000 and 20,000 announced new jobs.

Ohio, Arizona, and Indiana round out the top 10 states with more than $9 billion in announced investments each. Arizona’s announced investments increased by 260% from March – from $3.7 billion to $9.7 billion.

You can check out the report here.

Read more: Meyer Burger abandons German solar cell factory plans to build a US factory instead


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Kia’s electric van makes for the ultimate high-end people mover at luxury resorts

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Kia's electric van makes for the ultimate high-end people mover at luxury resorts

Kia wants your next vacation to be a little greener. The PV5, Kia’s electric van, is getting a new role as a high-end people mover at eco-friendly luxury resorts.

Kia launches PV5 pilot at Red Sea Global’s luxury resorts

You can use the PV5 as a daily driver, delivery van, or even to start a pop-up mobile shop, but now it has found a new use.

Kia launched a new demonstration project on September 29 with Red Sea Global (RSG), one of the developers behind Saudi Arabia’s new gigaprojects.

The project is “the first step toward smarter mobility” as Saudi Arabia aims to break away from its oil-centric economy.

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Kia will provide the PV5 Passenger model for the demo, but promises much more is on the way. The Korean automaker will also help train workers, teaching them about electric vehicles, new technology, and other clean energy solutions.

Kia’s electric vans will be used as customized people movers at RSG’s new resorts and wellness tourism complex in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Kia's-electric-van-resorts
The Kia PV5 electric van (Source: Hyundai Motor Group)

Breaking free from oil opens up a new market

The site, located along the Red Sea, is one of five gigaprojects designed to help the oil-rich nation reduce its dependence on fossil fuels.

Saudi Arabia’s plans, part of its Vision 2030 strategy, include a futuristic new city in Neom, an entertainment complex in Qiddiya, a residential development in Roshn, and a heritage site in Diriyah.

Kia's-electric-van-resorts
The Kia PV5 electric van (Source: Hyundai Motor Group)

Essentially, Saudi Arabia aims to transition from relying on oil revenue to power its economy to generating profits from tourism.

“Saudi Arabia is a very important market,” Jeong Ho-geun, Executive Vice President of Hyundai Motor Group’s Future Strategy Division, said, adding that the PV5 pilot is likely just the start.

Kia's-first-electric-van-PV5
Kia PV5 Passenger interior (Source: Kia)

A PV5 cargo designed for resort logistics and a custom PV5 conversion model could also be in the pipeline, the company said, which would be used at RSG’s high-end resorts. The larger PV7 electric van, set to launch in 2027, is “a possibility.”

With the PV5 arriving as a high-end shuttle in Saudi Arabia, will Kia launch it in other countries for use at resorts? It wouldn’t be a surprise.

Kia’s electric van is already rolling out in Europe, South Korea, and other global markets. The PV5 Passenger and Cargo, designed for personal and business use, are available in parts of Europe and South Korea.

During its PV5 Tech Day event over the summer, Kia revealed plans to launch seven new body types, including a “prime” luxury Passenger model, an open bed (similar to a pickup), and even a light camper version. What’s next?

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Watch delivery rider in Chicago hilariously outrun bumbling ICE agents on an e-bike

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Watch delivery rider in Chicago hilariously outrun bumbling ICE agents on an e-bike

A video circulating on social media this morning has electric bike fans cheering and Homeland Security officers scratching their heads after a man who is reported to be a delivery rider appeared to evade a group of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Chicago using nothing more than some quick footwork and an e-bike.

The short clip opens on a fairly routine city sidewalk scene, otherwise ordinary except for the group of around a dozen ICE agents, most with faces obscured and wearing a variety of mismatched uniforms and various military-style fatigues. There doesn’t appear to be any active law enforcement incidents or a clear reason for the large force, and the agents seem to be standing idly in a group on the sidewalk. The delivery rider can be seen walking his bike nearby and bending down to pick something up off the ground, which is followed by one of the agents lunging at him to try and grab him.

Startled, the man stumbles away, pushing his delivery e-bike with him and breaking into an awkward, zig-zagging escape. What follows looks more like a low-budget action comedy than a coordinated enforcement effort, as nearly a dozen ICE officers give chase in what looks like a confused herd. The video has been edited to add the Benny Hill theme song, further lightening the mood.

The rider, clearly no stranger to improvisation, darted past the agents while pushing his e-bike, sometimes switching directions to throw them off or using strangers as a screen to evade the officers, before finally hopping into the air and landing butt-first on his bike to zip away. The last few officers continued to chase the rider briefly as he increased the distance, before they eventually abandoned the pursuit and awkwardly returned to the sidewalk. The cyclist pedaled away, perhaps indicating that the likely throttle-enabled e-bike hadn’t even been turned on at the time.

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It’s unclear what prompted the attempted stop or if ICE agents were actually targeting the man specifically. Many have pointed out recently that such encounters are typical with ICE agents seen simply stopping people of color, often times delivery workers and other laborers.

One thing is for sure, though: As we’ve often said, e-bikes really may be the fastest way around a city, regardless of whether or not you’re being pursued.

Electrek’s Take

Obviously, if police are attempting to legally detain you, evading is not recommended. We don’t have enough context from the video to determine exactly why the ICE agents suddenly lunged at the man. From the video, the incident appears to have started after a single officer decided to attempt to grab the man, and not because he was the target of an investigation. Recent ICE roundups have been widely accused of selective enforcement, mostly preying upon people of color and in working-class areas.

ICE agents are only legally allowed to stop individuals if they have reasonable suspicion that the person has committed a crime, such as an immigration violation.

Electric bicycles continue to be one of the most effective ways to move quickly and efficiently around urban areas.

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Newmont Names COO Natascha Viljoen CEO, as Tom Palmer retires

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Newmont Names COO Natascha Viljoen CEO, as Tom Palmer retires

Gold prices were poised for a second consecutive weekly gain on Friday, driven by safe-haven demand amid tensions in the Middle East and rising bets that the U.S. Federal Reserve might reduce interest rates later this year.

Courtesy: Kinross

Newmont Corp. on Monday announced that President and Chief Operating Officer Natascha Viljoen will succeed Tom Palmer as chief executive officer, starting in January.

Palmer, who has served as president and chief executive officer since 2019, will resign from the board and as CEO on December 31.

Viljoen joined the company in 2023 as executive vice president and chief operating officer, according to the company’s website. Prior to joining the gold miner, she served as CEO of Valterra and held leadership positions at BHP and Lonmin.

Viljoen will become the first woman to lead Newmont in its over 100-year history, according to the company.

“I want to express my gratitude to Tom for his mentorship and support, and to the Board for entrusting me with the responsibility to lead Newmont into its next phase of growth,” Viljoen in a press release.

Palmer joined Newmont in 2014 as Managing Director Indonesia before serving as the company’s Managing Director Asia Pacific in 2015, and chief operating officer in 2016, according to its website.

“After 12 years with Newmont, and almost 40 years in the mining industry, it is time for me to retire and hand over to Natascha to lead our Company through the next chapter in its storied history,” Palmer said in a statement.

Newmont earlier this month said it sold its stake in Orla Mining for $439 million as part of its divestiture program.

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