December 20, 2025

What the end of the F-150 means December 20, 2025 admin Ford to Halt F-150 Lightning Production, Shifts Focus to Hybrid Trucks Electric pickup trucks are no longer a niche market, but the Ford F-150 Lightning may soon disappear from the segment. Ford Motor said on Monday that it will halt production of its electric pickup truck and shift its manufacturing plans toward hybrid-powered models. The F-150 Lightning was designed to persuade American drivers to embrace electric vehicles, but it ultimately failed to gain sufficient traction in the market. “It does not make sense to continue investing billions of dollars in a product that we know will not be profitable,” Ford Chief Executive Officer Jim Farley said in an interview with Bloomberg Television. “We had to make this choice.” Rather than reinventing the iconic F-150, the Lightning largely mirrored its gasoline-powered counterpart in both design and driving experience. Features such as the fold-away gear shifter remained intact, while electric-specific additions—most notably the large front trunk replacing the traditional engine compartment—were positioned as added conveniences rather than transformative changes. Sales of the electric F-150 did not collapse after an initial surge, unlike some competing models. Through the first three quarters of the year, only six electric vehicles sold in higher volumes than the Lightning in the United States, according to Cox Automotive, and none of them were full-size trucks or SUVs. Even so, Ford is expected to sell fewer electric F-150s this year than it did in 2024. One of the Lightning’s biggest challenges has been pricing. The model never fulfilled its promise of cost parity with gasoline-powered trucks. The $40,000 starting price advertised at launch was quickly withdrawn and replaced with a $55,000 figure—one that rarely appeared on dealer lots. In its first year on the market, the average transaction price—the actual price paid by buyers—was about $77,000, falling only slightly to $72,000 this year, according to Edmunds.com. By comparison, gasoline-powered F-150s sold for an average of $11,000 to $17,000 less. These persistently high prices reflect deeper struggles within Ford’s electric vehicle division, which posted losses of $5.1 billion last year. The company expects those losses to widen this year. Ford is not alone: other automakers have scaled back or canceled EV programs. General Motors recently took a $1.6 billion charge related to its EV operations, while Stellantis NV has scrapped plans for an electric Ram pickup. The rollback of EV incentives under the Trump administration is expected to further complicate electric vehicle sales, alongside proposed cuts to fuel efficiency standards. Farley warned that such policy changes could shrink the U.S. EV market by as much as 50%. Despite the setback, Farley emphasized that Ford is not abandoning electric vehicles altogether. Instead, the company plans to focus on lower-cost EV models that can compete with Chinese manufacturers. Ford is developing a new EV platform and has pledged to introduce an electric pickup priced around $30,000 without subsidies. Rivals such as General Motors have also reaffirmed their commitment to EV development. Still, Monday’s announcement underscores the risks of a rapid EV transition. Ford plans to convert a factory currently under construction—originally intended to produce electric trucks—into a facility that will manufacture gasoline-powered vehicles instead. Recommended Article Under New Ownership New front in the war on wind Blown away What the end of the F-150 means walking away from coal The Rising Global Energy Demand

walking away from coal December 20, 2025 admin Global Coal Use Reaches Plateau, IEA Predicts Gradual Decline The International Energy Agency (IEA) has stated that global coal consumption has reached its peak and is expected to begin a gradual decline over the next five years, driven by the rapid expansion of renewable energy and increased use of liquefied natural gas (LNG). According to the IEA’s annual coal report published today, global coal demand is projected to rise slightly by 0.5% this year, reaching a record 8,845 million tonnes, before falling by around 3% by 2030. “We expect global coal demand to level off before edging down slightly by the end of the decade,” said Keisuke Sadamori, IEA Director of Energy Markets and Security. “However, there are still many uncertainties affecting the outlook for coal.” Coal remains the most polluting fossil fuel and is the world’s largest source of carbon dioxide emissions. Its continued use accelerates climate change, prompting countries such as the United Kingdom, France, and Spain to phase out or completely abandon coal-fired power generation. Despite this, coal continues to serve as a backbone of electricity generation in many parts of the world, with China alone consuming more coal than the rest of the world combined. The IEA noted that coal consumption has reached a “saturation point” as renewable energy deployment accelerates. According to energy think tank Ember, solar and wind power are expanding fast enough to meet all new global electricity demand. Ember analysts estimate that renewables including solar, wind, hydropower, and smaller sources such as geothermal will generate more electricity than coal for the first time in 2025. For years, analysts have struggled to pinpoint when coal consumption would peak, particularly as demand remains strong in China and India, even while advanced economies shut down coal mines and expand solar and wind capacity. The IEA cautioned that its five-year outlook is subject to “significant uncertainty that could materially affect projections.” Much of this uncertainty centers on China, which accounts for more than half of global coal consumption and production. The IEA forecasts a slight decline in Chinese coal demand over the next five years. However, it warned that slower renewable deployment or accelerated coal-to-gas conversion projects could turn this modest decline into a slight increase. These uncertainties reflect China’s evolving approach to climate-related pollution. There are indications that the country’s overall emissions have already peaked, and under the upcoming Five-Year Plan, the government aims to peak coal and oil use between 2026 and 2030. Nevertheless, subtle changes in recent official statements by the Communist Party suggest room for increased coal use toward the end of the decade. In India, strong monsoon seasons have reduced electricity demand while boosting hydropower generation, the IEA said. As a result, coal-fired power generation is expected to decline this year compared with 2024, interrupting the growth seen in recent years. Within the European Union, coal demand is expected to continue falling, but by only around 2% this year, compared with double-digit declines in 2023 and 2024. The slower decline reflects reduced hydropower and wind output, which led to higher coal-fired generation during the first half of the year. In the United States, where coal demand has fallen by an average of 6% per year over the past 15 years, the trend is expected to reverse in 2025. The IEA projects an 8% increase in coal use, although U.S. authorities anticipate an even larger rise. Higher natural gas prices and slower-than-expected coal plant closures—supported by federal policy—are the main drivers behind this shift. Even so, natural gas has overtaken coal to become the largest source of electricity generation in the U.S. this year, according to researchers at the World Resources Institute. Despite policy support in the U.S., persistently low prices in international markets continue to weaken the economics of coal mining, the IEA noted. Coal prices have stabilized after surging during the COVID-19 pandemic and the early years of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Mining margins are shrinking as prices move closer to production costs. This trend is expected to continue through 2030, as higher emissions costs further erode coal’s competitiveness relative to natural gas. Recommended Article Under New Ownership New front in the war on wind Blown away What the end of the F-150 means walking away from coal The Rising Global Energy Demand

The Rising Global Energy Demand December 20, 2025 admin Empowering a Sustainable Future Through Reliable Transmission Infrastructure The world stands at a pivotal moment in its energy evolution. As industrialization, urban development, and digital transformation continue to accelerate, the global demand for energy is growing at an unprecedented rate. Electricity consumption is projected to surge across all regions, driven by the expansion of manufacturing, the electrification of transportation, and the increasing reliance on digital infrastructure and smart technologies. Emerging economies particularly across Asia and Africa are becoming the new frontiers of this energy transformation. Millions of households are gaining access to electricity for the first time, industries are scaling up production capacity, and urban centers are expanding rapidly to accommodate a growing population. This shift is reshaping global energy dynamics and redefining how nations plan, distribute, and secure their energy supplies. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global electricity demand is expected to rise by more than 25% by 2040. This exponential increase represents both an opportunity and a challenge. It opens the door for innovation in renewable power generation, grid modernization, and smart transmission technologies but also calls for greater responsibility to ensure that energy systems remain efficient, sustainable, and resilient against environmental and geopolitical pressures. The expansion of power transmission infrastructure is at the heart of this transformation. Without efficient and reliable transmission networks, energy cannot reach industries, cities, or communities that need it most. It is through these invisible backbones high-voltage lines, substations, and protection systems that modern society functions and progresses. At PT Standard Volt International, we believe that reliable transmission networks are the foundation of sustainable growth. Our mission is to deliver high-quality power transmission materials that meet international standards, enabling energy to flow safely and efficiently across nations. We see energy not merely as a commodity, but as a catalyst for social and economic development. Every project we support from substation modernization to transmission line upgrades contributes to a larger purpose: to empower communities, drive industrial growth, and promote a cleaner, more equitable global energy future. As the world transitions toward renewable sources and smarter grids, our commitment remains clear to innovate responsibly, to build with integrity, and to support the global pursuit of sustainable energy access for all. Recommended Article Under New Ownership New front in the war on wind Blown away What the end of the F-150 means walking away from coal The Rising Global Energy Demand