Category: United States

Trump Administration Says It Will End Electric Car Tax Credit In The Strangest Way | Electrek

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A Trump administration official has now announced that they are indeed planning to kill to the federal tax credit for electric vehicles, but they are offering a strange timeline as it is unclear if they even have the power to do it. The situation around the federal tax credit for EVs is weirder than ever right now. As Tesla hit the 200,000 delivery threshold to initiate the phase-out, there are two different legislative efforts to change the program. Read full story here: Trump Administration Says It Will End Electric Car Tax Credit In…

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Rivian CEO R.J. Scaringe Talks Electric Off-Road Vehicles | Digital Trends

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Rivian took the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show by storm with its first two vehicles – the R1T pickup truck and R1S seven-seat SUV. Both are all-electric, both are based on the same skateboard-style chassis, and both feature impressive performance figures. Rivian claims the R1T and R1S will offer up to 400 miles of range, or the ability to do zero to 60 mph in 3.0 seconds. That’s a good time for a supercar, let alone burly trucks that, according to Rivian, will also have genuine off-road ability. The company…

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California Gives Final Approval To Code Requiring Solar On New Homes | Engadget

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While there was little doubt it would happen, it’s now a done deal: California will require solar panels on most new homes. Officials at a December 5th Building Standards Commission meeting have voted for the new code, providing the last bit of approval necessary for the policy to take effect. New homes, condos and low-rise apartments will need eco-friendly power generation on their rooftops from January 1st, 2020 onward. The only exclusions are for homes that are either blocked by taller objects (like trees and tall buildings) or don’t have…

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Oil Companies Officially Ask Republicans To Kill Effort To Extend Electric Vehicle Tax Credit | Electrek

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As some have launched efforts to extend the federal tax credit for electric vehicles in order to accelerate EV adoption in the US, several trade groups representing oil companies are fighting back. The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, along with several other fossil fuel trade groups, have sent a letter to US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-WI) to kill any effort to revive the federal tax credit. Read full story here: Oil Companies Officially Ask Republicans To Kill Effort To Extend Electric Vehicle Tax Credit…

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Why Aren’t Chip Credit Cards Stopping “Card Present” Fraud In The US? | Ars Technica

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A security analysis firm called Gemini Advisory recently posted a report saying that credit card fraud is actually on the rise in the US. That’s surprising, because the US is three years out from a big chip-based card rollout. Chip-based cards were supposed to limit card fraud in the US, which was out of control compared to similar fraud in countries that already used EMV (the name of the chip card standard). Gemini Advisory now says that 60 million credit and debit card numbers were stolen in the US in…

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Canadian Crude Oil Industry In Crisis As Prices Plunge To Record Low | CTV News

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The Canadian crude oil industry has declared a national emergency after prices plunged to record lows. The American benchmark price for oil is now well below $60 a barrel, having dropped $20 in the last six weeks. While that’s good news for prices at the pump, it’s causing misery for producers. The price of The price of Western Canadian Select closed just under $14 a barrel Thursday. The crisis has been blamed on a surplus of product and not enough pipeline to move it. Read full story here: Canadian Crude Oil…

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Tesla, GM And Nissan Will Fight To Maintain EV Tax Credits Together | Engadget

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Tesla, GM and Nissan have teamed up on a new lobbying initiative to extend the $7,500 per vehicle tax credit for EVs. The “EV Drive Coalition” — which also counts industry giant ABB and non-profit Plug In America as its members — launched on Tuesday to spur lawmakers into passing reformative legislation that “works better for more consumers for a longer time frame.” Read full story here: Tesla, GM And Nissan Will Fight To Maintain EV Tax Credits Together | Engadget  

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U.S. On Guard Against Rise In Illegal Border Crossings As Canada Rejects Asylum Claims | CBC News

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American border agents are increasingly concerned about the northern boundary with Canada, saying the number of people entering the U.S. through back roads, forests and even across rivers is surging. “We’ve seen an increase coming into the United States from Canada,” U.S. Border Patrol Houlton Division chief Dennis Harmon says. He is responsible for the north-eastern frontier, through the Maine-New Brunswick line and the shared waters along the Atlantic. Read full story here: U.S. On Guard Against Rise In Illegal Border Crossings As Canada Rejects Asylum Claims | CBC News  

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Smart Home Makers Hoard Your Data, But Won’t Say If The Police Come For It | TechCrunch

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A decade ago, it was almost inconceivable that nearly every household item could be hooked up to the internet. These days, it’s near impossible to avoid a non-smart home gadget, and they’re vacuuming up a ton of new data that we’d never normally think about. Because the data is stored or accessible by the smart home tech makers, law enforcement and government agencies have increasingly sought out data from the companies to solve crimes. Read full story here: Smart Home Makers Hoard Your Data, But Won’t Say If The Police Come…

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The White House Will Promote The Development Of Autonomous Cars | Digital Trends

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The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) has taken important steps to simplify the legal framework surrounding autonomous vehicles. The Trump administration published a verbose policy initiative that outlines the steps it will take to give car and technology companies more freedom to develop, test, and ultimately sell the technology to the public. In an 80-page document, transportation secretary Elaine Chao recognized the pros and cons of self-driving vehicles. On one hand, they can lead to safer roads while making life more productive, more relaxing, or both for the millions of commuters…

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