Diesel wins this round as CARB backs away from Advanced Clean Fleets rule

Published

5 months ago

January 18, 2025

admin

The California Air Resource Board (CARB) has withdrawn its request to enact the proposed Advanced Clean Fleets rule, which required fleets that are “well-suited for electrification” to reduce emissions through the phase-in of Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) and the banning of commercial diesel sales after 2035.

The state of California submitted its Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) request to the EPA, which would have required trucking fleets in the state to transition to zero-emission vehicles beginning last year, in November of 2023, spurring a number of drayage fleets and port operators to accelerate their adoption of electric trucks and encouraging manufacturers to route the bulk of their BEV manufacturing capacity to California.

As the sun sets on the environmentally friendly Biden Administration, however, CARB is backing away from a fight with the incoming Trump Administration to enforce its state’s rights to enact emissions standards that are more strict than the federal regulations.

“Frankly, given that the Trump administration has not been publicly supportive of some of the strategies that we have deployed in these regulations, we thought it would be prudent to pull back and consider our options,” CARB chair Liane Randolph said in an interview. “The withdrawal is an important step given the uncertainty presented by the incoming administration that previously attacked California’s programs to protect public health and the climate and has said will continue to oppose those programs.”

The EPA has acknowledged the withdrawal of the state’s waiver request, which effectively delays implementation of CARB’s ACF rule for at least four years, contingent on the state’s maintaining its beliefe that it requires a waiver to enact a regulation that isn’t strictly an emissions standard. California governor Gavin Newsom, meanwhile, intends to continue to push for ZEV adoption in the state with a number of state-level incentives to promote further decarbonization.

Here’s hoping the BEVs and ZEVs have better luck next round.

Electrek’s Take

Daimler Truck certification — Freightliner eCascadia; via Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA)

While some may celebrate the delay of the Advanced Clean Fleets rule, their celebrations will undoubtedly prove to be myopic and short-lived. The reality is that America is no longer the world leader in technology or transportation that backward organizations like the American Trucking Association believe it to be, and the fact is that delaying a transition to cleaner, more efficient technology will only put the US further behind its economic rivals in Asia and the Middle East.

Even before this Pyrrhic victory for American truck brands that have been slow to push BEVs into production, demand for diesel was at a generational low, and companies like Volvo, Renault, and Mercedes-Benz have been logging millions of electric miles on their deployed trucking fleets.

All of which is to say: if you thought it was going to be hard for American brands to catch up before, it’s going to be even harder now.

SOURCES | IMAGES: ACT News, Overdrive; Reuters.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Environment

Chime prices IPO at $27 per share, valuing fintech company at $11.6 billion ahead of Nasdaq debut

Published

9 hours ago

June 11, 2025

admin

Chime prices IPO at per share, valuing fintech company at .6 billion ahead of Nasdaq debut

Chime Visa Credit Card

Source: Chime

Chime priced its IPO at $27 per share on Wednesday, above the expected range, in an offering that values the provider of online banking services at $11.6 billion

The company raised roughly $700 million in the IPO, with another $165 million worth of shares being sold by existing investors. The stock is expected to begin trading Thursday under ticker symbol CHYM.

The offering comes after a years-long freeze in the fintech IPO pipeline, as rising interest rates and valuation resets kept many late-stage companies on the sidelines. The market has started to loosen. Trading platform eToro jumped 29% in its Nasdaq debut last month, and crypto company Circle popped after hitting the market last week.

Online lender Klarna, meanwhile, has delayed its IPO plans and last month reported steep quarterly losses.

The US’s largest solar + storage project just hit a big milestone

Published

9 hours ago

June 11, 2025

admin

The US's largest solar + storage project just hit a big milestone

AES just completed the first half of Bellefield, which will become the largest solar + storage facility in the US.

The 1,000-megawatt (MW) Bellefield 1 project in Kern County, California, includes 500 MW of solar and 500 MW of four-hour battery storage, all under a 15-year contract with Amazon. When the full 2,000 MW Bellefield project is done, it will be the biggest solar-plus-storage installation in the country.

“Completing the first 1,000 MW of Bellefield demonstrates how rapidly solar and storage can be deployed to meet the growing energy demand of data centers,” said AES CEO Andrés Gluski.

AES has locked in deals with “major global hyperscalers” – think tech giants like Amazon and Meta – for more than 10 gigawatts of clean power. Bellefield is a big part of that.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

To speed up the build and make it safer, AES used its own robot helper, Maximo. This AI-powered robotic system helped crews install solar panels faster and with more precision.

Once the full 2 GW project is online, Bellefield will generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of around 467,000 homes annually. It’s expected to prevent more than 1 million metric tons of CO2 emissions annually and boost air quality in the region.

Construction of Bellefield 1 created more than 700 union jobs, and AES says Bellefield 2, which is expected to wrap in 2026, will create around 1,000 union jobs at peak.

AES says it will start recognizing revenue from Bellefield 1 later this year, right on schedule.

To limit power outages and make your home more resilient, consider going solar with a battery storage system. In order to find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and you share your phone number with them.

Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Environment

Kia’s new EV4 is already the best-selling domestic electric sedan in its home market

Published

10 hours ago

June 11, 2025

admin

Kia's new EV4 is already the best-selling domestic electric sedan in its home market

Kia’s first electric sedan is already being called “a box office hit.” In just its second month on the market, the Kia EV4 was the best-selling domestic electric sedan in Korea.

Kia EV4 is Korea’s best-selling domestic electric sedan

After launching sales in Korea in April, Kia sold just 831 EV4 models in its first month. Local reports attributed the “limited deliveries” in April to delivery delays and issues with subsidies.

Kia expected sales to rebound quickly after government subsidies resumed, and it appears that the issues are being resolved.

In May, Kia EV4 sales reached 1,373 in Korea, making it the best-selling domestic electric sedan. Hyundai’s IONIQ 6 also saw higher demand, with sales up 100% from last May to 754 units.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

With the IONIQ 6 refresh set to launch later this year, Hyundai is offering up to over $6,500 (9 million won) in discounts on the current model. Hyundai and Kia are dealing with an influx of new electric sedans with aggressive discounts from EV makers like BYD.

One industry insider called the Kia EV4 a “box office hit,” but it still has some time to earn that title. With a starting price of about $30,000 (41.92 million won), the EV4 is one of the most affordable models in its class.

It’s even cheaper than BYD’s Seal electric sedan, which launched in Korea in April, starting at 47.5 million won ($35,000).

The EV4 is available with two battery sizes: 58.3 kWh and 81.4 kWh, offering driving ranges of 382 km (237 miles) and 533 km (331 miles) in Korea, respectively.

Kia’s electric sedan can recharge from 10% to 80% in just under 30 minutes. The extended-range battery takes about 31 minutes to recharge.

Inside, you’ll find a similar setup to the brand’s other new EV models. The setup includes Kia’s new ccNC infotainment with nearly 30″ of combined display, including dual 12.3″ navigation and driver display screens, plus a 5″ climate control screen.

Kia EV4 Trim	Starting Price
Kia EV4 Standard Air	41.92 million won ($28,900)
Kia EV4 Standard Earth	46.69 million won ($32,000)
Kia EV4 Standard GT-Line	47.83 million won ($32,900)
Kia EV4 Long Range Air	46.29 million won ($31,800)
Kia EV4 Long Range Earth	51.04 million won ($35,000)
Kia EV4 Long Range GT-Line	51.04 million won ($35,900)

Kia EV4 prices by trim in Korea (Source: Kia)

The real test will come later this year when Kia launches the EV4 in Europe, followed by the US in 2026. In the US, it will be available with the same 58.3 kWh and 81.4 kWh battery packs, offering ranges of up to 235 miles and 330 miles, respectively. On the WLTP scale, it’s rated with a range of up to 391 miles.