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The EU will impose duties on electric vehicle imports from China from Thursday
International
AP

The EU will impose duties on electric vehicle imports from China from Thursday

  • By LORNE COOK - Associated Press

The European Union says it will impose duties on imports of electric vehicles from China from Thursday, after talks between Brussels and Beijing failed to find an amicable solution to their trade dispute. Electric vehicles have become a major flash point in a broader trade dispute over the influence of Chinese government subsidies on European markets and Beijing’s burgeoning exports of green technology to the bloc. According to the European Commission, sales of Chinese-built electric cars jumped from 3.9% of the EV market in 2020 to 25% by September 2023, in part by unfairly undercutting EU industry prices. A commission spokesperson says the duties will remain in force for five years.

Unions face a moment of truth in Michigan in this year's presidential race
National News

Unions face a moment of truth in Michigan in this year's presidential race

  • By JOEY CAPPELLETTI and MATT BROWN - Associated Press
  • Updated

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are appealing to middle-class workers in very different ways. How their messages land could have a big impact in battleground states with strong union ties such as Michigan. Harris, the Democratic nominee, is relying on United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain to help spread her message, as her campaign worries about her support among working-class men. That issue worsened when two unions that backed Joe Biden in 2020 decided not to endorse either candidate this year. Trump, the Republican nominee, has jumped on these non-endorsements and claims they show that rank-and-file workers support his vision. He has criticized union leaders and urged workers to trust him over the unions.

Election 2024 Clean Energy
National News
AP

Election 2024 Clean Energy

  • Lindsey Wasson - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
  • Updated

FILE - A driver waits in their car while charging their electric vehicles at an Electrify America station, Oct. 9, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)

Biden admin to provide $750 million to North Carolina-based Wolfspeed for advanced computer chips
National News
AP

Biden admin to provide $750 million to North Carolina-based Wolfspeed for advanced computer chips

  • By JOSH BOAK - Associated Press

The Biden-Harris administration announced plans to provide up to $750 million in direct funding to Wolfspeed, with the money supporting its new silicon carbide factory in North Carolina that makes the wafers used in advanced computer chips and its factory in Marcy, New York. The new Wolfspeed facility in Siler City could be a critical symbol in this year’s election, as it opened earlier this year in a swing state county that is undergoing rapid economic expansion in large part due to incentives provided by the Biden-Harris administration.

International
AP

Snubbed by Tesla, Mexican government pledges to create its own small, affordable electric car

  • AP

Snubbed by Tesla, Mexico's new president has pledged to create a Mexican-made small, affordable electric car. President Claudia Sheinbaum said Teslas were too expensive for the Mexican market anyway. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in July the company had “paused” plans for a plant in Mexico in July, citing Donald Trump’s remarks about possible auto tariffs. Sheinbaum said her government will try to bring together Mexican companies and researchers to produce a “compact, cheap electric car.” The plan faces a number of problems, including the fact Mexico doesn't produce any lithium, key for batteries, nor any mass quantity of batteries. High domestic electricity rates could also be a roadblock.

Stellantis CEO under fire from Italian lawmakers as the group grapples with financial troubles
International
AP

Stellantis CEO under fire from Italian lawmakers as the group grapples with financial troubles

  • By GIADA ZAMPANO - Associated Pres

Italian lawmakers on Friday questioned the head of troubled French-Italian automaker Stellantis over the group’s strategy, one day after it announced a management shakeup in an effort to revive sales. Stellantis, which makes Jeep and Chrysler vehicles, is navigating in rough waters globally, while the Italian government demands clarity about its production plans for the country, as the company grapples with financial troubles. The group has been under fire following a concerning profit warning in which the company said it expected to finish the year with a negative cash flow of up to 10 billion euros. It also faces a national metal workers strike called by Italy’s main unions for Oct. 18.