David M.’s Post

Great infographics! How will China respond? Will there be also the same 100% tariff for grid batteries? If not for grid batteries, will there be a clausule that you can import batteries into USA with 25% tariff, but shall it end up in cars, you have to pay the remaining 75% as well ? (plus penalty, ofc) Or lower tariff for Chinese battery packs, and freedom to install them in ”made in USA” cars, so to keep the manufacturing / assembling jobs in Detroit, yet have reasonably priced EVs and avoid larger trade war with China?

From Daniel in the comments: "It is not really a surprise , quite the opposite - it was expected. The main reason is the US addiction to fossil fuels . Instead of investing in R&D , most of the money went to lobbyist working to postpone the regulations, or even worse slowing the development of EVs. (With the only really worthy exception of Tesla)(Think about the GMs EV1 from the 90s that was loved by consumers, but hated by the traditional BAU) Meanwhile the Chinese companies focused on R&D, building manufacturing at scale and aquiring a dominant slice of the raw materials needed for the transportation disruption we are getting into. The same pattern it is visible in a lot of sustainability related domains from manufacturing to circular economy. We tend to focus on postponing by extending a traditional business model, instead of using the funds for a dramatic R&D . At the end of the day the Chinese companies have just perfected the western traditional models : make products that users will love and sell it at scale with a lower margin. But the scale is totally out of charts, and EVs are just one of the products that are highly competive both on quality and price. The tax war is just a short term fix, it’s a cost transferred to the users, not the policy makers."

“Car Wars”—simply holding on for dear life to ensure a previously dominant US industry doesn’t collapse. What most miss within the silly debate of batteries replacing petroleum is electrification is the machine—not the source of the energy (at current, it takes a LOT of coal to produce electricity to charge the batteries). The tech is simply better, makes it easier to service the end product with less parts, and the Chinese didn’t fight it. The U.S. auto industry is met with the harsh reality they got behind, and actions are being taken to by our government to insulate economic fallout by catering to oil lobbyists. Go review the “Patent Security Review List” from January 1971 that is still active today—we could have used Patrick Ogle’s carburetor getting 200 mpg long ago on good ol’ gasoline (still could) but it would have tanked the petroleum industry then. The Act prevents creation or launch of anything greater than 20% efficiency for solar, and anything else greater than 70% efficiency. Fascinating stuff, but pertaining to the new tariffs, it buys the US time, but not much else. We gotta get moving. This isn’t about saving the planet now—it’s about insulating the US economy and we better get on board with battery/electification.

Interesting how countries are using taxation to squeeze supply chains to focus sales on locally manufactured goods.

The need for a circular economy has never been greater. Regardless of the ongoing trade disputes with China, it’s crucial that we implement a true circular economy. By adhering to the 4R principle—reduce, reuse, recycle, and recover—we can minimize the need for sourcing new materials. Reduce Repair Repurpose Recycle ♻️ 🔋 #Circulareconomy #Secondlife #Circunomics

the facts brought together and it will be interesting to see how the EU will react on the US approach

I spoke with BBC News about the current situation of the car industry. Here a little snippet about what is important right now. Whole conversation linked in the comments.

Engines of Our Ingenuity 1173: A Sinking Automobile: … problem of escaping a sinking automobile. Today, thoughts about thinking while … problem of escaping a sinking automobile. Today, thoughts about thinking while … #car #cars #awesome

Featured on AutoHunter, the online auction platform driven by ClassicCars.com, is this 2002 Ford F-150 SVT Lightning. Lightning strikes travel at 270,000 miles per hour. The speed of light itself is even faster, at 186,000 miles per second (or 671 million miles per hour). Figures like that are difficult to even comprehend. Perhaps that’s why Ford’s SVT (Special Vehicle Team) Division named its performance-tuned version of the ninth-generation F-150 pickup accordingly. The truck launched in 1992 and was designed from the get-go to emphasize all-out speed over utility. https://lnkd.in/dJuh_fqs