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GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – NOVEMBER 01: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi presents his national statement on day two of COP26 at SECC on November 1, 2021 in Glasgow, United Kingdom. 2021 sees the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference.
Pool | Getty Images News | Getty Images

LONDON — Some of the world’s largest polluters were under the spotlight at the COP26 summit Monday, as countries outlined their commitments on climate change.

India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, pledged to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2070, a date two decades beyond the target set by COP26 organizers and host Boris Johnson, the U.K.’s prime minister.

Modi said the country had five climate-related pledges, including meeting 50% of its energy needs by renewable means by 2030.

“By 2070, India will achieve the target of net zero emissions,” he added, during a speech delivered Monday. The country is the world’s third-largest carbon emitter.

India represents 17% of the world’s population and 5% of the carbon emissions, Modi said, adding that it had “delivered both in letter and in spirit on its Paris commitments,” referring to the 2015 Paris Agreement where nations made the 1.5 degrees Celsius pledge. But to do so, the world needs to almost halve greenhouse gas emissions in the next eight years and reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

The COP26 summit, delayed a year by the coronavirus pandemic, comes six years after the landmark Paris accord was signed by nearly 200 countries to limit rising global temperatures to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to “pursue efforts” to cap heating to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

The latter threshold is a crucial global target because beyond this level, so-called tipping points become more likely. Tipping points refer to an irreversible change in the climate system, locking in further global heating.

Modi also said India would reduce the carbon intensity of its economy by 45%.

Meanwhile, China’s president, Xi Jinping, called for countries to take “stronger actions” on climate change in a written statement released Monday during the summit.

“I hope all parties will take stronger actions to jointly tackle the climate challenge and protect the planet, the shared home for us all,” he said, according to China’s state media agency Xinhua, which published the statement.

Xi, who is not attending COP26 in person, also called for developed countries to help developing nations do more. Onlookers noted that the statement failed to make any new commitments on climate change. China’s target for net zero is also well beyond the 2050 target.

The Chinese leader’s statement follows strong criticism from U.S. President Joe Biden at the G-20 meeting of the world’s largest economies on the weekend. At a news conference, Biden blasted China and Russia, saying the countries “basically didn’t show up in terms of any commitments to deal with climate change.” Along with Xi, Russian President Vladimir Putin is not going to COP26 in person.

Xi’s statement also follows calls from the White House on Monday for China to do more to tackle climate change. “We are filling our end of the bargain at COP. The fact that China isn’t is not something that they can readily point to us,” U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters, according to a Reuters report. The U.S. is the second-largest emitter of carbon.

“They are a big country, with a lot of resources and a lot of capabilities, and they are perfectly well capable of living up to their responsibilities and it is up to them to do so,” Sullivan added.

Xi’s statement at COP26 also said China would “vigorously” develop renewable energy and build wind and solar power stations.

The statement added that China would “rein in the irrational development of energy-intensive and high-emissions projects,” and that the country will roll out plans for sectors including coal, energy, construction and transport, but did not say when it would do so.

China is the world’s largest emitter of carbon, exceeding the greenhouse gas emissions of the U.S. and the developed world combined. Xi has previously said the country would “strictly control coal-fired generation projects,” however China is increasing construction of coal-fired plants. The state-owned Bank of China has been heavily criticized for its role in financing overseas coal projects, with its funding reaching $35 billion since 2015.

The country is currently in the middle of an energy crisis, with power cuts across China likely to “substantially increase” its coal imports in the short term. Experts said it is a “balancing act” to keep the lights on while demonstrating a commitment to emissions reductions. 

 — CNBC’s Emma Newburger, Sam Meredith and Yen Nee Lee contributed to this report.

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Trump says he will revoke Biden offshore drilling ban on first day in office

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Trump says he will revoke Biden offshore drilling ban on first day in office

A view of offshore oil and gas platform Esther in the Pacific Ocean on January 5, 2025 in Seal Beach, California. 

Mario Tama | Getty Images

President-Elect Donald Trump said Tuesday that he will reverse President Joe Biden‘s ban on offshore drilling along most of the U.S. coastline as soon as he takes office.

“I’m going to have it revoked on day one,” Trump said at a news conference, though he indicated that reversing the ban might require litigation in court.

Biden announced Monday that he would protect 625 million acres of ocean from offshore oil and gas drilling along the East and West coasts, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and Alaska’s Northern Bering Sea. The president issued the ban through a provision of the 1953 Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act.

An order by Trump attempting to reverse the ban will likely end up in court and could ultimately be struck down.

During his first term, Trump tried to issue an executive order to reverse President Barack Obama’s use of the law to protect waters in the Arctic and Atlantic from offshore drilling. A federal court ultimately ruled that Trump’s order was not lawful and reversing the ban would require an act of Congress.

The Republican Party has a majority in both chambers of the new Congress.

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ZEEKR to deliver multiple EVs in 2025 with NVIDIA Thor tech, including a US model for Waymo

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ZEEKR to deliver multiple EVs in 2025 with NVIDIA Thor tech, including a US model for Waymo

Chinese EV Automaker ZEEKR is marking its third consecutive presence on the display floors of CES. During this year’s event, ZEEKR began teasing at least three new models scheduled to launch in 2025, some of which will feature an NVIDIA DRIVE Thor-based smart driver domain controller. In addition to those codenamed models, ZEEKR is also planning to launch another NVIDIA DRIVE Thor-equipped EV called “RT” in the US to be used by robotaxi developer Waymo.

ZEEKR wasted no time touting its latest EV and autonomous driving technology at CES 2025, which kicked off in Las Vegas earlier this week. As noted above, 2025 marks ZEEKR’s third consecutive participation in the annual tech event, which is notable considering the company was founded less than four years ago.

During last year’s event, ZEEKR showcased its 007, which had just launched in China days before. It offers a 540-mile range and a starting price below $30,000. At CES 2023, ZEEKR made its public debut in the US, showcasing its flagship 001 shooting brake and a purpose-built EV designed for robotaxi network Waymo, which we saw up close later that fall. 

The Waymo BEV has become known as the ZEEKR RT, which is mentioned alongside several exciting announcements that the Chinese automaker teased last month.

ZEEKR Waymo
ZEEKR’s booth at CES 2025 / Source: ZEEKR/Weibo

ZEEKR shares plans for new models, plus Waymo BEVs

ZEEKR kicked off CES 2025 today with news of a new domain controller built using NVIDIA’s DRIVE Thor next-generation centralized computer. NVIDIA unveiled DRIVE Thor in the fall of 2022, announcing ZEEKR as its first customer and initial production of vehicles featuring the technology planned for early 2025.

As such, ZEEKR is hailing itself as the first OEM to integrate NVIDIA’s next-gen system-on-chip (SoC) into a domain controller to handle a wide range of smart driving, autonomous scenarios, and parking functions. Per NVIDIA during the DRIVE Thor debut, the computer “achieves up to 2,000 teraflops of performance, unifies intelligent functions — including automated and assisted driving, parking, driver and occupant monitoring, digital instrument cluster, in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) and rear-seat entertainment — into a single architecture for greater efficiency and lower overall system cost.”

As NVIDIA’s first DRIVE Thor customer, ZEEKR said its domain controller will soon be mass-produced and integrated into a new large SUV model to be launched this year. That SUV will be one of three new BEVs ZEEKR plans to launch in 2025. According to ZEEKR CEO Andy An, those vehicles have been internally codenamed “EX,” “DX,” and “CC.”

In addition to those passenger EVs in the works, ZEEKR shared that its RT van, based on the MIX and explicitly designed as a robotaxi for Waymo, is undergoing real-world testing and is expected to arrive as the world-first mass-produced purpose-built vehicle for autonomous rides.

ZEEKR RT deliveries to Waymo are expected later this year for further testing ahead of a future public robotaxi network launch. If that happens, ZEEKR could become the first Chinese EV brand to enter the US market, although it’s a bit of a loophole.

ZEEKR’s 009 MPV, MIX van, and 001 FR shooting brake are on display at CES at booth #5640 in the West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Go check them out.

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Hyundai is selling vehicles on Amazon? ‘You’re gonna need a bigger cart’

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Hyundai is selling vehicles on Amazon? 'You're gonna need a bigger cart'

How about a new EV with your next Amazon order? As the first brand to sell vehicles on Amazon, Hyundai says, “You’re gonna need a bigger cart.” Hyundai is now selling cars directly on Amazon, including popular EVs like the IONIQ 5. Here’s how you can snag one.

How can you buy Hyundai EVs directly on Amazon?

Buying a new Hyundai is now as easy as adding it to your next Amazon order. However, you might need a bigger cart.

Amazon revealed plans to expand into vehicle sales in 2023, starting with Hyundai. After making it official at the 2023 LA Auto Show, Hyundai began selling vehicles on the platform just before the end of 2024.

Buying a new vehicle on Amazon Auto is as easy as buying a new laptop or outfit. You can browse through available Hyundai vehicles near you, secure financing, checkout, and schedule a pick-up time directly using Amazon’s trusted platform.

You can easily find the vehicle you’re looking for with the option to sort by model, trim, color, features, and more. After you find it, you can secure financing, sign the paperwork electronically, and complete the process in just a few clicks.

Hyundai-EVs-on-Amazon
How to buy Hyundai vehicles on Amazon (Source: Hyundai)

The best part is the haggle-free pricing. What you see at checkout is the price you will pay. Once finalized, you can pick the day and time to pick up your new ride at a local dealership.

If you have a trade-in, you can get an instant quote by answering a few questions and uploading images of the car. Then, you can apply the credit toward your new vehicle on Amazon Autos. When you go to pick up your new vehicle, the dealership will be ready for it.

Hyundai-EVs-on-Amazon
2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 (Source: Hyundai)

Hyundai plans to expand the program by adding more dealers throughout the year and offering more leasing and financing options. On the Amazon Auto website, you can view Hyundai vehicles at participating dealers near you.

You can already find top-selling Hyundai EVs on Amazon Auto, including the updated 2025 IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 6. With new models, like the three-row IONIQ 9 rolling out, expect to see more EVs available soon.

Hyundai-EVs-Amazon
2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 (Source: Hyundai)

The new IONIQ 5 starts at $42,500. With a bigger (84 kWh) battery, the updated model has a range of 318 miles, up from 303 miles in the outgoing IONIQ 5. It also has an NACS port, so it can be charged at Tesla Superchargers.

After kicking off production at its new EV plant in Georgia late last year, Hyundai’s electric vehicles now qualify for the $7,500 EV tax credit for the first time.

For those of you who don’t have access to the program yet, we’ve got you covered. With the new 2025 models rolling out, Hyundai is offering 2024 IONIQ 5 SUVs for next to nothing while they are still in stock. You can use our links below to find the best deals on Hyundai EV models in your area.

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