The US finished the year by posting record ethanol production numbers. 992,000 barrels per day (bbl/d) were reported for the week ending on December 19, with 990,000 bbl/d reported the prior week. 988,000 bbl/d were produced for the week ending December 5, with 982,000 bbl/d for November 21. The US produced a record total of about 14.31 billion gallons of ethanol in 2014. The previous record was 13.93 billion gallons in 2011. Ethanol stocks remain stable due to what Renewable Fuels AssociationSenior Vice President Geoff Cooper calls "a good supply-demand balance" in the marketplace. Read more at Hoosier Ag Today.
Pennsylvania is extending its Alternative Fuel Vehicle Rebate program. The state's Department of Environmental Protection announced it will continue to provide $2,000 rebates for EVs with batteries of 10-kWh or more until the end of June or until it reaches 500 vehicles (with over 150 still available). Plug-in vehicles with smaller batteries will still get $1,000 rebates, along with natural gas, propane and hydrogen vehicles. Electric motorcycles and scooters are eligible for a $500 rebate. Read more in the press release below.
China is extending its subsidies for so-called new energy vehicles beyond its 2015 expiration until 2020. The program applies to electric and hydrogen vehicles, and China hopes to encourage people to adopt those vehicles in order to alleviate air pollution and dependence on foreign oil. China provides buyers of all-electric vehicles subsidies of up to about $8,834, with electric buses eligible for rebates of more than $80,000. The amounts of assistance will gradually decrease from 2016 until their new expiration at the end of 2020. Read more at Reuters.
The Henes Broon F870 is an electric sports car for kids. The sleek, stunning machine is four feet long with dual electric motors and an independent suspension system. It features Normal, Comfort and Dynamic driving modes, and boasts a top speed of 10 miles per hour. A seven-inch touchscreen tablet on the dash acts as a display. Even though it only fits children smaller than four feet tall, adults can still enjoy driving it via a remote control mode. The Henes Broon F870 costs $1,000.Read more at Wired, or check out the Broon Cars website.
