An off-shore oil platform off the coast in Huntington Beach, California on April 5, 2020.
Leonard Ortiz | MediaNews Group | Orange County Register | Getty Images
It’s been a war of words and numbers between two major players in the energy industry – the International Energy Agency and OPEC – as they spar over the future of something crucial to crude producers’ survival: peak oil demand.
Peak oil demand refers to the point in time when the highest level of global crude demand is reached, which will be immediately followed by a permanent decline. This would theoretically decrease the need for investments in crude oil projects and make them less economical as other energy sources take over.
For oil producing countries and companies, it’s existential.
That’s why when the chief of the IEA, an intergovernmental organization that advocates for oil consuming countries, predicted that peak oil demand would be reached by 2030 and hailed the decline of crude as a “welcome sight,” OPEC was furious.
“Such narratives only set the global energy system up to fail spectacularly,” OPEC Secretary General Haitham al-Ghais said in a Sept. 14 statement. “It would lead to energy chaos on a potentially unprecedented scale, with dire consequences for economies and billions of people across the world.” He accused the agency of fear-mongering and risking the destabilization of the global economy.
More broadly, the spat reflects the ongoing clash between climate change concerns and the need for energy security. That juxtaposition was on full display at ADIPEC – the annual gathering whose name stood for Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition Conference until this year, when it was quietly changed to Abu Dhabi International Progressive Energy Conference.
The United Arab Emirates will be hosting the COP28 climate summit in November and has been marketing its sustainability campaigns, all the while ramping up its crude production capacity in preparation for what it expects to be a growth in future demand. The UAE is OPEC’s third-largest oil producer.
CEOs of oil majors and state oil producers stressed the need for a dual approach, insisting their companies were part of the solution, not the problem, and that an energy transition is not possible without the security and economic support of the hydrocarbons sector.
“I don’t know if we’re going to have peak oil in 2030. But it’s very dangerous to say that we have to reduce investment because that is against the transition,” Claudio Descalzi, CEO of Italian multinational energy company Eni, said Monday during a panel hosted by CNBC’s Steve Sedgwick.
He warned that if oil investment – and therefore supply – drops and fails to meet demand, prices will surge, crippling the economy.
Descalzi acknowledged that burning fossil fuels “is producing lots of CO2,” but added “we cannot shut down everything and rely just on renewables and that is the future, no. It’s not like that. We have infrastructure, we have investment that we have to recover and we have the demand that is still there.”
The IEA wrote in its Aug. 2023 report that “world oil demand is scaling record highs” and is set to expand this year, but added that faster adoption of electric vehicles and renewable power, as well as the West’s decoupling from Russian gas, will hasten peak demand before 2030.
“Based on current government policies and market trends, global oil demand will rise by 6% between 2022 and 2028 to reach 105.7 million barrels per day (mb/d) … Despite this cumulative increase, annual demand growth is expected to shrivel from 2.4 mb/d this year to just 0.4 mb/d in 2028, putting a peak in demand in sight,” the agency wrote in a June 2023 report.
The IEA also outlined its roadmap for Net Zero by 2050, calculating that worldwide oil demand would need to fall to 77 million barrels per day by 2030 and 24 million barrels per day by 2050.
But those figures are staggering when confronted in real-world terms: during the most intense global lockdown period of the Covid-19 pandemic, in March and April of 2020, worldwide daily oil demand was slashed by 20% – something only possible because the economy came to a near-complete standstill. The IEA’s roadmap calls for daily oil demand to be slashed by 25% in seven years’ time.
‘We all strive for the same thing’
OPEC leaders, meanwhile, point to continuing yearly increases in oil demand, particularly from major emerging markets like China and India.
But such a challenge shouldn’t distract from the immense damage to come if no action is taken, climate scientists warn. The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concludes that fossil fuel emissions must halve within the next decade if global warming is to be contained to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. And according to the panel, roughly 90% of global CO2 emissions come from fossil fuels and the heavy industry.
Thus continues the tug-of-war between climate action advocates and the hydrocarbons industry, despite some calls by the latter that they should work together. Oil companies have also been accused of dialing back their climate pledges in recent months following record annual profits.
Speaking to CNBC’s Dan Murphy at ADIPEC, OPEC’s al-Ghais appeared to temper his response to the IEA’s latest forecast figures.
“We respect the IEA fully, of course,” he said Monday. “What we believe in is that we cannot just replace the energy system that has existed for so many years, over a decade or even two. And that’s why we continue to emphasize the importance of investing in oil, as well as investing in renewable energy, hydrogen.”
“And the important thing is the technologies,” al-Ghais added, “because ultimately, we all strive for the same thing, which is meeting the Paris Agreement objectives” of limiting the Earth’s temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
That desire is likely to be tested at COP28 when world leaders again convene in the UAE in November to publish a joint communique on climate action.
Hyundai’s first three-row electric SUV is finally here, and it’s even better than we expected. The IONIQ 9 arrives with “class-leading” interior space, up to 335 miles of range, and much more. Hyundai is showing off just how spacious the IONIQ 9 really is.
Hyundai highlights how spacious the 3-row IONIQ 9 is
It’s been less than two months since the first IONIQ 9 models rolled off the assembly line at Hyundai’s massive new manufacturing plant in Georgia.
With its first three-row electric SUV about to reach dealerships any day, Hyundai wants you to know that the IONIQ 9 is spacious enough for just about anyone.
“The IONIQ 9 is more than just a vehicle; it’s a space where life happens,” Hyundai Motor America’s marketing chief, Sean Gilpin, explained.
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Hyundai launched a new ad campaign on Friday, ” Space to Connect, ” to highlight the SUV’s class-leading interior space.
With the second and third-row seats folded, the IONIQ 9 boasts up to 2,462 liters (87 cubic feet) of interior cargo space. That’s even more than the 2025 Ford Explorer with up to 2,429 liters (85.8 cubic feet). With all seats upright, the IONIQ 9 still has 620 liters of cargo capacity.
It’s not only spacious, but the IONIQ 9’s interior is packed with Hyundai’s most advanced software and connectivity tech.
As part of a curved panoramic display, the infotainment system includes dual 12″ driver display and infotainment screens.
Earlier this month, Hyundai announced that the 2026 IONIQ 9 will start at $58,995. With a $1,600 destination fee, the base RWD S model, which has a range of up to 335 miles, also starts at $60,555.
For $64,365 (including destination), you can upgrade to the AWD SE model with 303 horsepower and 320 miles range. Meanwhile, the range-topping IONIQ 9 AWD Performance Calligraphy Design trim, which gets added Matte paint, 21″ wheels, and 311 miles driving range, starts at $78,090.
2026 Hyundai IONIQ 9 Model
EV Powertrain
Drivetrain
Driving Range (miles)
Starting Price (including destination fee)
IONIQ 9 RWD S
160-kW (215-HP) Electric Motor
Rear- Wheel Drive
335
$60,555
IONIQ 9 AWD SE
226.1 kW (303-HP) Dual Electric Motors
All-Wheel Drive
320
$64,365
IONIQ 9 AWD SEL
226.1-kW (303-HP) Dual Electric Motors
All-Wheel Drive
320
$67,920
IONIQ 9 AWD PERFORMANCE LIMITED
314.6-kW (422-HP) Dual Electric Motors
All-Wheel Drive
311
$72,850
IONIQ 9 AWD PERFORMANCE CALLIGRAPHY
314.6-kW (422-HP) Dual Electric Motors
All-Wheel Drive
311
$76,590
IONIQ 9 AWD PERFORMANCE CALLIGRAPHY DESIGN
314.6-kW (422-HP) Dual Electric Motors
All-Wheel Drive
311
$78,090
2026 Hyundai IONIQ 9 prices and driving range by trim (*including a $1,600 destination fee)
The IONIQ 9 has a native NACS port to access Tesla Superchargers. Using a 350 kW DC fast charger, it can charge from 10% to 80% in as little as 24 minutes.
While you wait for the three-row IONIQ 9, Hyundai’s smaller IONIQ 5 is currently on sale. With leases starting at just $209 per month, the IONIQ 5 is hard to pass up right now. You can use our link to find Hyundai IONIQ 5 models at a dealer near you today.
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Federal tax credits are starting to waver under the current administration, but as of May 2025, you can still take advantage of up to $4,000 off the purchase of a used EV. If you’d rather not listed to me talk, you can skip right to all the BEVs and PHEVs that currently qualify by clicking here.
How the current tax credit works for used EVs
As part of revised terms in the Inflation Reduction Act signed by President Biden, federal tax credits have been extended (for now) and include revamped benefits for used EV purchases. That said, your used EV purchase must fit certain criteria to qualify for a credit up to $4,000. Per the IRS:
Beginning January 1, 2023, if you buy a qualified previously owned electric vehicle (EV) or fuel cell vehicle (FCV) from a licensed dealer for $25,000 or less, you may be eligible for a previously owned clean vehicle tax credit under Internal Revenue Code Section 25E.
Used EVs face terms that offer a credit equal to 30% of the sale price (up to $4,000). That should help consumers like yourselves get some change back in their pockets at the end of the fiscal year, as long as you stick to these terms as outlined by the IRS.
To qualify as a customer, you must:
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Be an individual who bought the vehicle for use and not for resale
Must be an individual (no businesses)
Not be the original owner
Not be claimed as a dependent on another person’s tax return
Not have claimed another used clean vehicle credit in the 3 years before the EV purchase date
Modified adjusted gross income must not exceed $75k for individuals, $112,500 for heads of households, and $150k for joint returns
Additionally, in order for used EV to qualify for federal tax credits, it must:
Have a sale price of $25,000 or less
Have a model year at least 2 years earlier than the calendar year when you buy it
For example, a vehicle purchased in 2023 would need a model year of 2021 or older
Not have already been transferred after August 16, 2022, to a qualified buyer
Have a gross vehicle weight rating of less than 14,000 pounds
Be an eligible FCV or plug-in EV with a battery capacity of least 7 kilowatt hours (kWh)
Be for use primarily in the United States
Purchased from a certified dealer:
For qualified used EVs, the dealer reports required information to you at the time of sale and to the IRS
A used vehicle qualifies for tax credit only once in its lifetime
These used EVs qualify for credits as of May 2025
It’s important to note that this is not the end-all, be-all list of used EVs that qualify for tax credits in the US. As always, we recommend speaking with a tax professional and EV dealer directly to ensure what you and your new vehicle qualify for. Without further ado, here are the all-electric models that currently qualify:
Tesla (TSLA) shareholders were getting excited on social media about a “Tesla prototype” that turned out to be a competitor’s prototype vehicle.
A new electric vehicle prototype started showing up on social media, and Tesla shareholders started sharing it, assuming it was a Tesla prototype.
A Tesla shareholder part of the “Rebellionaire” group on X, a group of Tesla stock pumpers, even shared it, claiming that it is “what gets him ultra bullish” on Tesla:
The only problem is that it wasn’t even a Tesla prototype.
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Faraday Future (FF) came out and confirmed that it is a prototype mule of their new ‘Faraday X’:
That’s our testing vehicle, a Faraday X Prototype Mule.
FF is better known for its very high-end FF91, but it is currently developing less expensive next-generation vehicles under its new Faraday X brand.
Tesla shareholders got excited because some are still holding on to the idea that Tesla is going to release new cheaper electric vehicles under new models.
Tesla has confirmed all that in their most recent financial results and earnings calls, but some are still holding on to the idea that Tesla plans to release completely new models due to Musk’s comments.
Electrek’s Take
I think part of Tesla’s problems right now are due to its shareholder base not recognizing its problems and blindly believing what Elon Musk says, despite a long history of misleading and plain wrong.
This is a prime example.
Tesla has now confirmed what we have been reporting for a year: the new vehicles are just going to be stripped-down versions of Model 3 and Model Y.
No new models are coming to market other than supposedly the Cybercab, but as long as this is only planned without a steering wheel, it is useless until it can solve unsupervised self-driving, which it has yet to do.
This is a problem that shareholders are either ignoring or don’t believe.
Tesla launched a single new model in the last five years, the Cybertruck, which was a commercial flop.
At some point, shareholders must wake up and realize that Musk is destroying Tesla’s EV business and that self-driving vehicles are not coming to save the day.
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