Politics prevail here this morning, as we bring you the latest on the Trump administration’s budget and how it could impact at least one fledgling automaker. There’s also the EV Freedom Act, a proposal from members of Congress for the U.S. to treat a charging network as infrastructure. And the Nikola Badger blends hydrogen fuel-cell technology and the latest plug-in battery tech. This and more, today at Green Car Reports.
The Trump budget announced yesterday for fiscal year 2021 includes increases in military and infrastructure spending, offset by various cuts in the automotive tech and green energy sector. The administration made clear that it wants to eliminate both ATVM loans that might make the company formerly in GM’s Lordstown, Ohio plant viable, and to phase out the EV tax credit. With a House controlled by the Democrats the budget serves mostly as a platform.
The EV Freedom Act that has been proposed to Congress calls for the construction of a standards-agnostic fast-charging network along major highways within five years—with stipulations to keep the network up with new technology.
The Nikola Badger electric pickup gets its energy from both a hydrogen fuel cell and a lithium-ion battery pack—for a combined driving range of up to 600 miles. If Nikola’s network of 700 hydrogen stations takes form, could it compete with the likes of the Tesla Cybertruck and Rivian R1T?
Our partner site Motor Authority noticed that Jay Leno has posted his driving impressions of the Porsche Taycan. Leno isn’t quite as fluent in diving into electric-vehicle technology as he is riffing about classic sports cars, so it’s worth watching from that perspective; you'll probably learn something.
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