A curious tale of the North Sea winds

IF I POINTED out that all dogs have four legs, then said therefore all four-legged animals are dogs, it would raise an eyebrow or two, though in these woke-soaked days some might hesitate before disagreeing. It is of course a non sequitur, a conclusion that doesn’t follow logically from the previous statement.

Here’s another one, and see if you can spot the error: we’ve been using windmills for hundreds of years, therefore we can generate constant and virtually free electricity if we put up lots of wind turbines, especially at sea, where the wind is both constant and stronger.

Share

Net zero plans for Armed Forces could ‘put soldiers at risk’

Ministers are forging ahead with plans to use electric vehicles (EVs) for combat on the battlefield despite warnings from military grandees that they could put the Armed Forces at risk.

The Telegraph has learnt that the Ministry of Defence will be ramping up testing of battlefield EVs next year at the Army’s Bovington Garrison in Dorset, home of the Tank Museum.

The testing, described by an insider as “putting these vehicles through their paces”, is at an experimental phase, but is an expansion of plans first mooted under the Conservative government on the development of combat EVs.

Share

The REAL reason Joe Biden is in Africa

Share

Trudeau’s lunatic electricity regulations would burden Ontario residents with $35B in costs

Ontario says federal clean electricity regulations would add $35B in costs

TORONTO – Ontario is urging the federal government to amend proposed electricity regulations after an analysis by the province’s system operator concluded the rules would mean $35 billion in additional costs by 2050.

A new analysis by the Independent Electricity System Operator looking at upcoming regulations around restrictions on emissions from electricity generation found that Ontario would have to add twice as much new generation as it is already planning, which is “not feasible” in that time frame.

But if the province were to somehow do so, building enough new electricity generation to make up for restrictions on natural gas would add $35 billion in costs by 2050, increasing residential bills by $132 to $168 per year starting in 2033, the IESO said.

Share

Lion Electric temporarily lays off 400 workers, gets extension from creditors

MONTREAL – Electric bus manufacturer Lion Electric is temporarily laying off 400 employees and shutting down production at its Illinois plant after getting a two-week reprieve from its lenders.

The St-Jérôme, Que.-based company said in a statement Sunday that it has secured an extension to Dec. 16 for a loan and a credit agreement with a syndicate of lenders, after a Saturday deadline passed.

Share

Britain Is Killing Its Auto Industry

This week’s net-zero carnage in Europe—these stories pop up weekly now—has happened in Britain, where the no-carbon energy transition is killing another country’s auto industry. How much longer can the insanity last?

Stellantis announced it will shut a plant in Luton, north of London, in the spring. The move imperils up to 1,100 jobs. The factory had been slated to produce electric vans under the storied British Vauxhall make, but the consumer demand isn’t there.

Stellantis may shift some jobs to a plant at Ellesmere Port in northwest England, which has been overhauled with the help of taxpayer subsidies to produce electric vehicles. But there’s spare capacity there, too.

Share

Odds rise that Quebec EV maker Lion Electric will need to seek creditor protection

Canada’s electric truck and bus manufacturer Lion Electric Co. is up against a deadline this weekend to find new investors amid a cash crunch and an EV market that’s in turmoil.

The St-Jerome, Que.-based company said on Nov. 18 that it had received a two-week extension of its credit agreement with three lenders, as well as temporary relief on the conditions of a loan provided by the Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec and Finalta Capital Inc.

Share

JAY GOLDBERG: Northvolt bankruptcy an ominous sign for politicians’ EV gamble

Politicians love to gamble with your cash but, based on their record, you’d think they were rookies getting fleeced by a card shark at a shady bar.

The latest epic failure is the gamble on electric vehicle battery manufacturer Northvolt.

The Legault government bet buckets of cash. And now the company is broke.

Share

Britain’s car industry is in crisis due to lack of demand for electric cars, warns boss of Ford

Britain’s car industry is in crisis due to a lack of demand for electric cars, the boss of Ford’s UK arm has warned.

Lisa Brankin, the chairman and managing director of Ford UK, called for the Government to urgently introduce ‘incentives’ such as tax breaks to convince drivers to switch away from petrol and diesel.

She said Ford has invested ‘significantly’ in the production and development of EVs, with ‘well over’ £350million invested around electrification in the UK, adding: ‘So we kind of need to make it work.’


Yea throw more money at it that’s the ticket.

Share

Stellantis to shut down Vauxhall plant in response to gov’t EV Mandate

More than 1,000 jobs at one of the country’s largest vehicle plants have been put at risk after Vauxhall became the latest company to scale back its UK production.

Ministers have been forced into talks with manufacturers amid fears that electric vehicle (EV) targets will hit carmakers with ruinous fines.

Stellantis, Vauxhall’s parent company, said that the government’s “challenging” mandates, aimed at phasing out petrol and diesel vehicles, had played a significant part in its decision to shut its van-making plant in Luton.

Share

Britain poised to water down electric vehicle rules

Rules governing the switch to electric vehicles (EVs) are poised to be watered down after a backlash from carmakers.

Jonathan Reynolds, the Business Secretary, will announce a fast-track consultation on potential policy changes to the phase-out of petrol engines at an industry gathering on Tuesday, it is understood.

The rethink comes after Mr Reynolds and Louise Haigh, the Transport Secretary, last week met executives from seven carmakers, trade groups and charging firms.

Share

Northvolt’s Bankruptcy and the EV Crash

Electric-vehicle dreams are crashing into reality, and the latest signs come from Europe. Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt last week filed for bankruptcy, one day after Ford announced 4,000 job cuts in Europe because of the government-mandated EV transition. Will the next Trump Administration learn from Europe’s blunders?

“The global auto industry continues to be in a period of significant disruption as it shifts to electrified mobility,” Ford said Wednesday. “The transformation is particularly intense in Europe where automakers face significant competitive and economic headwinds while also tackling a misalignment between CO2 regulations and consumer demand for electrified vehicles.”

Share