A Coal-ed Feeling In Your Bones

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Last month, the Donald’s administration announced plans to open 13.1 million acres (5.3 million hectares) of public US land to coal mining while also providing $625 million for coal-fired power plants.

The efforts came as part of a cornucopia (or maybe it was a coalnucopia…) of initiatives from the US Department of the Interior, Department of Energy, and Environmental Protection Agency, with aspirations for resurrecting the dying US coal sector.

Although coal is responsible for generating around 35% of the world’s electricity, it is also one of the most greenhouse gas-intensive energy sources, producing approximately 20% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Globally, coal use has been on a rapid decline over the past 30 years, with the US halving its production between 2008 and 2023, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Meanwhile, renewable energy overtook coal as the world’s leading source of electricity in the first half of this year, a historic first, according to new data from the global energy think tank Ember.

We’ve basically hit “peak coal”.

Last year, President Joe Biden acted to block future coal leases, citing their potential to worsen climate change.

This week, Congressional Republicans voted to roll back restrictions on mining, drilling, and other development in three states.

The rationale for removing EV tax credits, shelving renewable projects, and suspending leases for offshore wind was to allow consumer and industry demand to dictate production.

Global coal demand is likely to remain broadly unchanged this year and next, despite short-term fluctuations across several major markets in the first half of 2025, according to the IEA’s latest update on the sector.

Why then is the Donald subsidizing an industry that has been in decline for decades?

Bottom line, there’s no demand for all that coal.

The all-new 2026 BYD Seal 05 DM-i with 2,000 km range enters the market with a price of about $11,200 USD. carnewschina.com

BYD sees UK sales increase by 880%. bbc.com

Zeekr launches updated 001 with enhanced powertrain, ultra-fast charging. cnevpost.com

Geely begins assembling Starray EM-i hybrid SUV in Indonesia. cnevpost.com

Stellantis’s joint venture partner, Leapmotor, begins selling EVs in South Africa. businesstech.co.za

Optimus robot showed off newly learned kung-fu moves on the Tron: Ares red carpet. teslarati.com

Tesla pushed a software update that lets customers turn their Tesla into a Tron: Ares-inspired light cycle on their infotainment screens. theverge.com

Tesla’s new, cheaper EVs are stripped-down versions of the Model Y and the Model 3. And for some reason, they covered up the glass roof in the latest Model Y Standard. motortrend.com

The NHTSA is reviewing incidents where Full Self Driving FSD-enabled Teslas blew through red lights or travelled the wrong way on roads. theverge.com

The Boring Company violated environmental regulations nearly 800 times, Nevada alleges. techcrunch.com

Even if Elon misses key targets outlined in a trillion-dollar pay package, Tesla is still willing to pay him more than the next eight best-paid CEOs combined. reuters.com

Hypershell’s updated X Ultra performance exoskeleton channels 1,000 watts of power into your natural gait with a new high-efficiency motor that cranks out 25% more power, pushing peak output from 800 to 1,000 watts (1.34 hp) so you can hike, run, climb, scramble, ski and pedal for up to 65 km while cutting fatigue and feeling fresher when you arrive. newatlas.com

Toyota is exploring the development of a small drone system to provide better driver “situational awareness” on unpaved roads and trails. autonews.com

Deep Robotics has unveiled its DR02 humanoid, an industrial robot designed to function in all weather conditions. With an IP66 protection rating, it is dust and water-resistant. interestingengineering.com

DoorDash customers in LA might soon have their food brought to them by one of Serve Robotics’ sidewalk delivery robots. techcrunch.com

IKEA now sells solar panels, EV chargers, and heat pumps in the UK (and elsewhere). techradar.com

NextStar Energy says it’s hired its 1000th employee to work at Windsor’s new electric vehicle battery plant. cbc.ca

The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) announced a breakthrough in the field of solid-state lithium batteries. Thanks to polymer molecules, the research team invented a flexible battery with a stable current level and a high energy density. carnewschina.com

Texas start-up, Base Power, raises an additional $1B to expand home battery solutions in the US. techcrunch.com

Orsted announced that it intends to reduce its workforce by a quarter toward the end of 2027, in an effort to become more competitive and refocus its operations in the EU. cnbc.com

Brent and US crude futures fell more than $2 a barrel, or more than 3%, on Friday as The Donald considers imposing increased tariffs on China. reuters.com

The world’s five biggest oil producers are moving to cut costs, jobs and share buybacks as falling oil prices threaten to make shareholder payouts unsustainable without increasing debt, analysts said. reuters.com

The Colonial Pipeline Company, operator of the most extensive US fuel transportation system, informed employees this week that it is planning to cut some jobs. reuters.com

Chinese ambassador says they will remove their tariffs on Canadian agriculture, including on canola products, if Canada scraps its levies on Chinese EVs. ctvnews.ca

At around $30,000 USD, the 2027 Chevy Bolt will be one of the cheapest EVs Americans can buy. theverge.com

About 280 employees at GM’s Factory Zero EV plant will remain on layoff for the remainder of the year. freep.com

Ford and GM are both backing off their plan to offer the $7,500 electric vehicle tax credit to customers through the end of the year. theverge.com

Ford is pausing production of the F-150 Lightning electric pickup in Dearborn, Michigan, because of an aluminum plant fire in New York. autonews.com

Stellantis’ global vehicle shipments rebounded in the third quarter, driven by new model sales and stronger demand in North America. reuters.com

Stellantis kills off the three-row Wagoneer SUV after the 2025 model year. However, the Grand Wagoneer will still be available. autonews.com

Stellantis NV is planning to invest about $10 billion in the US as the troubled maker of Jeep sport utility vehicles and Ram pickups refocuses on the market that’s pivotal to its profits, according to people familiar with the situation. bloomberg.com

The US Energy Department is considering revoking nearly $1.1 billion awarded in retooling grants to Stellantis and GM last year by the Biden administration. reuters.com

Ferrari showed off the guts of the Elettrica, their planned 1000-horsepower, 193mph top speed electric supercar. theverge.com

Kia has an HVAC problem. autonews.com

Linamar intends to buy the Georg Fischer iron casting plant in Germany. autonews.com

Americans are falling behind on their car payments. wsj.com

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