A big a part of our position within the media is to focus on cleantech leaders, and one other giant half is to carry to mild local weather and cleantech laggards. With that in thoughts, we’re beginning a brand new sequence — a weekly take a look at an organization, individual, group, or nation that stood out in a great way and a take a look at one which stood out in a not-so-good method.
Chief: Ford
Designed to be radically environment friendly and carbon impartial, the truck plant on the BlueOval Metropolis web site shall be able to producing 500,000 electrical vans a yr at full manufacturing.
The primary one was an apparent selection for me. Ford has simply up to date us on the event of its EV-focused BlueOval Metropolis, introduced a cool new electrical truck, and revealed a brand new electrical Explorer (not for the US market, sadly). Moreover, Ford is splitting out its EV enterprise (which is shedding cash proper now, however it’s important to begin someplace) when reporting its funds and company developments. Ford will now be reporting its funds “by Ford Blue (iconic gasoline, hybrid automobiles), Ford Mannequin e (breakthrough EVs) and Ford Professional (industrial merchandise, providers), not by regional markets.” This may occasionally not sound like an enormous deal, however it’s an enormous step in shifting the corporate to a completely electrical car firm (ultimately).
Photograph courtesy of Ford
You’ll be able to learn extra CleanTechnica tales about Ford’s EV strikes this week right here:
Honorable mentions: There have been a couple of corporations that appeared to deserve honorable point out. These corporations are 7-Eleven, BYD, and Volvo Vehicles. Right here’s why:
Laggard: Germany
Sadly, and surprisingly, the entity that jumped out to me as laggard of the week was Germany. Germany? Actually? Why? As a result of Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of Germany, is attempting to push e-fuels on the European Union relatively than merely sticking with the clear cleantech answer of electrical automobiles. “The German Chancellor is in a stand-off with the EU over his insistence that vehicles powered by e-fuel are allowed to be offered after a 2035 phase-out date for combustion engines,” Transport & Setting writes.
Alex Keynes, clear automobiles supervisor at T&E, added: “Chancellor Scholz is threatening to tug the rug from underneath the European Inexperienced Deal for the sake of saving polluting combustion engines. The upper value of e-fuels will imply that solely the rich might afford them whereas everybody else may very well be pushed into getting across the guidelines and utilizing fossil petrol as an alternative. Motorists and the local weather would be the losers.” Not cool.
We intend to make “Chief & Laggard of the Week” a daily function right here on CleanTechnica. Tell us should you ever have any ideas for both of those distinctions.
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