BMW and Toyota Partner On Hydrogen-Powered EVs --- Cars target drivers who want cleaner vehicles but don't have home chargers

"BMW and Toyota will partner to develop hydrogen-fueled electric cars in a push to turn a nascent market into a mass market.

The German carmaker said Thursday that it will release hydrogen-powered versions of one of its existing model lines in 2028 as part of its strategy -- which Toyota shares -- to broaden its reach with various fuel types. 

BMW and Toyota's hydrogen cars will use powertrains, which contain the engine and transmission, developed in tandem by the companies, according to a joint statement.

Hydrogen-powered cars, known in the industry as fuel-cell electric vehicles, or FCEVs, run on electricity generated from hydrogen when it mixes with oxygen inside a fuel cell. Traditional electric vehicles rely on electricity stored in a battery.

"It is basically electric driving," Michael Rath, BMW's vice president of hydrogen vehicles, told reporters.

With its hydrogen push, BMW is targeting consumers who want cleaner vehicles but don't have EV chargers at home, or who must drive a lot and cannot rely on charging networks, Rath said. Fueling them is faster than charging traditional EVs, and is more akin to filling up a tank at a gas station, he said. He added that they also have greater towing capability and are less affected by temperature.

BMW stressed that it doesn't view hydrogen cars as a replacement for battery-powered cars, which consumers have cooled on after a burst in demand last year. The company sees hydrogen as a second option.

"We don't see battery-electric vehicles and fuel-cell vehicles as competitors. Rather, we think they complement each other," Rath said.

Infrastructure for hydrogen cars is far sparser than charging stations for electric vehicles and, of course, gas stations. The European Union mandated hydrogen refueling stations across Europe in its Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation. And BMW is in talks with energy suppliers, both on the fueling and production side, Rath said. Both companies said they will play a role in expanding infrastructure and are invested in the growth of the hydrogen economy.

Safety concerns present another barrier for vehicles powered by hydrogen, which is highly flammable. According to Rath, BMW has run crash tests that prove its cars are safe. BMW's iX5 hydrogen concept vehicle has been tested on the road since last year.

BMW didn't provide targets for sales volumes or production. BMW and Toyota won't rule out selling the tech that they develop to third parties, Rath said.

The partnership will extend to commercial vehicles as well." [1]

1. BMW and Toyota Partner On Hydrogen-Powered EVs --- Cars target drivers who want cleaner vehicles but don't have home chargers. Sachs, David.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 06 Sep 2024: B.4.

Sankcijos Rusijai susilpnino Vakarų vyriausybes

"Politinis paralyžius Europoje ir Amerikoje yra nuostabus. Didžiosios Britanijos ministras pirmininkas Keiras Starmeris, išrinktas tik prieš du mėnesius didžiule balsų dauguma parlamente, jau praranda politinį impulsą dėl ekonomikos sąstingio, riaušių visoje šalyje ir vidinių partijos nesutarimų dėl Izraelio ir Gazos ruožo.  Prancūzija tik šią savaitę gavo naują ministrą pirmininką po prezidento Emmanuelio Macrono šią vasarą nesėkmingo rinkimų gambito, o Vokietija taip pat gali jo neturėti po to, kai kanclerio Olafo Scholzo partijos ir jo koalicija buvo sunaikinti praėjusį savaitgalį vykusiuose parlamento rinkimuose dviejose žemėse.

 

 Visos trys šios pagrindinės Amerikos sąjungininkės susiduria su ekonominiu negalavimu (dažniausiai dėl neprotingos energetikos politikos), fiskalinėmis krizėmis, kylančiomis dėl nereformuotų gerovės valstybių, ir didėjančia socialine įtampa dėl imigracijos. Čia yra tipiškas Europai disfunkcijos lygis, o tada dar šis. Sunku įsivaizduoti laiką, kai JK ir didžiausios žemyno ekonomikos buvo mažiau valdomos arba buvo prasčiau valdomos.

 

 Europos problemos apsilankė Amerikos krantuose (ir atvirkščiai) dėl sudėtingo Bideno administracijos strateginio silpnumo, Europos energetikos politikos klaidų ir sankcijų Rusijai sąveikos – visa tai lėmė energetinę ir ekonominę krizę Europoje ir pasaulinį energijos kainų šuolį, kuris smogė ir JAV.“ [1]

 

Juokinga, kad sankcijos Rusijai nepaveikė Rusiją, nes globalūs Pietai pasipriešino šioms sankcijoms.

 

1. Political Economics: An Economic October Surprise Could Roil the 2024 Election. Sternberg, Joseph C.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 06 Sep 2024: A.15.

Sanctions on Russia Weakened Western Governments

"Political paralysis in Europe and America is amazing. Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, elected only two months ago with a thumping majority in Parliament, already is losing political steam amid economic stagnation, a bout of rioting across the country, and internal party divisions over Israel and Gaza. France only this week got a new prime minister following President Emmanuel Macron's botched election gambit this summer, and Germany might as well not have one after the parties of Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his ragtag coalition were wiped out in last weekend's legislative elections in two states.

All three of those key American allies face economic malaise (chiefly occasioned by boneheaded energy policies), fiscal emergencies arising from unreformed welfare states, and escalating social tensions around immigration. There's Europe's typical level of dysfunction, and then there's this. It's hard to think of a time when the U.K. and the Continent's largest economies were less governable or more poorly governed.

Europe's problems came to be visited on America's shores (and vice versa) via a complex interaction between Biden administration strategic weakness, European energy-policy errors, and sanctions on Russia-- which all led to an energy and economic crisis in Europe, and a global energy-price spike that also hit the U.S." [1]

It is funny that the sanctions against Russia did not affect Russia because the Global South resisted these sanctions.

1. Political Economics: An Economic October Surprise Could Roil the 2024 Election. Sternberg, Joseph C.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 06 Sep 2024: A.15.