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American Lung Association: How propane buses reduce harmful emissions and improve respiratory health in school communities.
Blue Bird: A leading manufacturer of propane school buses about the latest innovations driving propane autogas adoption across the country.
School District Leadership: A school district transportation director and maintenance supervisor will share their real-world experiences with propane buses, from cost savings and reliability to driver and technician feedback.
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Brought to you by the Propane Education & Research Council
Ford sold 85,789 electrified vehicles in Q3, up 19.8% year-over-year.
Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning posted record quarterly sales.
Hybrids remain the volume leaders, led by F-150 and Maverick models.
Ford just posted its seventh straight month of growth and capped off a successful third quarter. It wasn’t just one or two models that did the heavy lifting, either. Not only were traditional ICE vehicles like Bronco, Explorer, and Expedition big hits, but electrified cars, trucks, and SUVs smashed records. Here’s a look at the details.
During the quarter, Ford and Lincoln sold a combined 85,789 electrified vehicles, which include both hybrid and pure battery-electric vehicles (BEV). That’s up 19.8 percent compared to last year, and it made up 15.7 percent of the brand’s sales mix. Last quarter, electrified cars made up just 13.5 percent of sales.
No doubt, some, well, scratch that, most of those sales came from buyers eager to grab a tax credit before it expired on September 30. Ford and GM, however, seem to have found a loophole to keep it alive a little longer, as we reported yesterday.
Battery Gains Build Momentum
That’s backed up in part by the huge gains Ford saw in its BEV sales. It delivered 30,612 EVs in the quarter. That’s a 30.2 percent increase over the same time period in 2024. Leading the way was the Mustang Mach-E, which recorded its best quarter since launching in 2020, climbing 50.7 percent to 20,177 units. The F-150 Lightning also posted a record quarter with 10,005 trucks sold. That’s up almost 40 percent.
Hybrids still make up the majority of Ford’s electrified sales. They accounted for 55,177 sales. The F-150 Hybrid continued its reign as the best-selling full-size hybrid truck in America with 22,212 sales. The Maverick Hybrid continued to dominate the midsize hybrid pickup segment with 63,516 sales, an 11.5 percent increase.
Andrew Frick, president of Ford Blue and Model e, said the results highlight the company’s balance across powertrains. “We saw strong performance in gas, hybrid, and electrified powertrains, while at the same time growing our paid software solutions, all embedded in vehicles such as Expedition, Explorer, and F-150.”
Balancing Old and New
While some big automakers are pivoting around a shifting market, Ford seems on track to move from strength to strength. It’ll likely outsell GM and Stellantis combined with regard to electrified sales this year. And it’s managing that while ICE-powered vehicles see success as well.
Lumber stacked for milling in northern Wisconsin. Lawmakers are proposing state support for a plant that would turn wood debris into aviation fuel. (Wisconsin Examiner photo)
Lawmakers from northern and north-central Wisconsin are circulating a bill supporting Johnson Timber Corp. in Hayward to build a processing plant for aviation fuel made from logging debris to establish a processing plant in Wisconsin.
The legislation would reward the company with a $60 million tax credit and access to $150 million in borrowing through Wisconsin’s bonding authority.
Republican lawmakers wrote in a memo circulated Monday seeking cosponsors that the proposal would create 150 jobs and generate $1.2 billion a year in income after three years of operation.
The processing plant in Hayward would be built by Johnson Timber Corp., in partnership with a German company, Sen. Mary Felzkowski (R-Tomahawk) said at a press conference in the state Capitol Monday morning. The German partner is Synthec Fuels, according to Felzkowski’s office.
Wisconsin along with Michigan and Minnesota are all vying for the project, Felzkowski said, “and the state that helps will be the first state” to get the facility and probably the headquarters for the overall processing operation.
She said the process of converting logging waste into aviation fuel was comparable to how corn is grown for and converted into ethanol.
“We will be taking that wood product and turning it into a carbon offsetting and reduction scheme for international aviation,” Felzkowski said.
As drafted, the bill would authorize the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. (WEDC) to create a manufacturing zone for aviation biofuel derived from wood matter and to issue up to $60 million in tax credits for a business operating in the zone.
The bill requires the business to source 80% or more of the wood used from Wisconsin and invest at least $1.5 billion in the project.
The bill also provides for the business to borrow up to $150 million for the project using Wisconsin’s tax-free bonding authority.
At the press conference, lawmakers, Sawyer County officials and a timber industry representative billed legislation as a “forestry revitalization” measure.
Paper and pulp plants in Wisconsin Rapids, Park Falls and Duluth, Minnesota, have all gone out of business in the last five years, accounting for about 30% of the pulp produced by Wisconsin’s timber industry, said Henry Sheinebeck, executive director of the Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association.
“We’re growing at a minimum two times more [timber] than we’re harvesting,” Sheinebeck said. Enabling the timber industry to cut down and make use of more trees would preserve and improve the health of forests in the state, he said.
The association and the paper industry are the joint recipients of an unrelated $1 milliongrant in the state 2025-27 budget to draw up a statewide forestry industry strategic plan.
Ford, GM, and Stellantis stand to save billions under Trump’s emissions rollback.
On the other hand, Tesla could lose more than $1 billion annually in credit revenue.
EPA’s mission to protect health and the environment clashes with its current stance.
The automotive industry never stops changing, but 2025 has been unlike most as Donald Trump’s policies have changed the way automakers are doing business. The elimination of federal tax credits for electric vehicles is a major move on its own. Paired with the removal of penalties for missing fuel economy targets under CAFE regulations, the result is a playing field with entirely new rules.
The immediate winners are the combustion-heavy brands that can now focus on selling trucks and SUVs without financial punishment. On the other side, Tesla, Rivian, and other EV specialists stand to lose billions, not because demand for their cars will collapse, but because a critical source of revenue has been pulled out from under them. At the center of the storm is an Environmental Protection Agency that appears to be working against the mission printed on its own website.
Cash Flow Reversal
Since 2022, GM has spent some $3.5 billion buying regulatory credits, says Bloomberg. Ford and Stellantis have spent billions as well. That cash went to brands like Tesla and Rivian, which had plenty of credits to sell since their cars emit zero emissions. With the end of EV tax credits and CAFE fines for breaking regulations, Ford, GM and Stellantis can pour the money they would’ve spent on credits back into their own piggy bank.
Ford CEO Jim Farley said the policy shift has the “potential to unlock a multibillion-dollar opportunity,” noting that the Blue Oval is already retooling its Oakville, Ontario, plant to build Super Duty pickups instead of EVs.
GM is also cutting back on EV production, opting to overhaul factories for gasoline-fueled models. Stellantis, meanwhile, has gone so far as to revive the thirsty Hemi V8 engine, something previously thought dead in the age of electrification. With all of these changes, death might now be coming for some EV brands.
Trouble Ahead For EV Startups
Not only does the end of tax credits make purchasing an EV less palatable for many, but it also means that brands which used to benefit from selling tax credits now need to readjust to the new reality. Smaller brands, though, might be in big trouble. For example, Slate’s trucklet looks almost pointless with a starting price near $30,000 as the EV tax credit was vital to its success.
Even larger brands like Tesla and Rivian have leaned on the pure profit they’ve gained by selling regulatory credits. That money likely won’t be coming back anytime soon and that’s because the EPA seems willing to do just about anything the Trump Administration deems reasonable.
A Mission Ignored
It states plainly that its mission is “to protect human health and the environment.” Love them or hate them, electric vehicles are probably better at that than combustion cars. In fact, the EPA itself has an entire page dedicated to debunking the myths so many like to perpetuate surrounding them.
Things like “EVs are worse for the climate than gas cars,” “EVs are unreliable,” and “EVs will collapse the power grid.” Furthermore, J.D. Power is one of many sources that indicate that when all costs are considered, EVs are cheaper to buy, maintain, and own long-term when compared to combustion cars.
No one argues that people should be forced into one type of car. Choice matters. The government shouldn’t force anyone into a specific car or truck. But supporting policies that improve human health and the environment is what the EPA literally says it’s supposed to do.
By supporting Trump’s rollback of strict fuel economy standards and regulations, the agency is doing the exact opposite of its own mission statement. It’s clearing the way for automakers to build more polluting vehicles, burn more fuel, and erase billions in total consumer savings. If the EPA won’t uphold its own mission, it seems that nobody will.
WOODSTOWN, N.J. – B.R. Williams Inc., a leading school bus contractor in New Jersey, announced today that it is the first school bus contractor in the state to pilot the DEMINeuFuel school bus platform (aka the “CowFartBus”) to run on a blend of renewable natural gas (RNG) and diesel. This initiative marks a significant step for the company towards utilizing nearzero carbon fuel in student transportation.
The DEMI-NeuFuel system, made possible through a partnership between American CNG® and Ingevity®, allows operators to convert existing diesel school buses to run on a blend of diesel and RNG. Ultimately, it provides a cost-effective way for school bus contractors and districts to reduce fuel costs with the use of natural gas and a low-cost and small footprint fueling appliance. And,unlike other alternative fuel options, the DEMI-NeuFuel system’s dual-fuel capabilities eliminate the range anxiety that many drivers experience.
“We are excited to be the first school bus operator in New Jersey to implement the DEMI-NeuFuel platform,” said Chloe Williams, President at B.R. Williams Inc. “This technology offers a cost-effective and environmentally responsible solution for reducing our carbon footprint on our existing diesel vehicles.”
Through the use of the DEMI-NeuFuel technology and RNG, B.R. Williams can reduce its annual fuel costs by over 60% on the displaced diesel, eliminating approximately 1,945* gallons of diesel per year, and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by approximately 20 metric tons per year, which is the equivalent of 10,800 miles driven by a diesel school bus, further protecting New Jersey’s air quality.
B.R. Williams joins a growing number of school bus contractors and districts nationwide that are working toward reducing emissions and improving air quality for students and communities. The use of the DEMI-NeuFuel system is part of a broader effort by B.R. Williams to maximize its environmental stewardship while also enhancing its fiscal responsibility with the use of cleaner, more cost-effective fuel solutions for student transportation.
“Ingevity is proud to support B.R. Williams and school districts around the country on their sustainability journeys,” said Dante Marini, Product Engineer at Ingevity. “Our DEMI-NeuFuel technology offers the flexibility school bus fleet operators need to meet their operational requirements without compromising performance or efficiency. We are excited to continue advancing clean energy solutions for school transportation.”
Stellantis files patent WO/2025/184156 for tri-motor EREV with onboard gas generator.
Ramcharger’s two-motor EREV layout could evolve into a three-motor system.
Chinese EREVs like Maextro S800 and Yangwang U8 show proof of concept.
Stellantis has had a lot going on lately. While the headlines have mostly circled around the return of the Hemi V8, the company hasn’t slowed its march toward electrification. A recently published patent outlines a system designed to manage torque between three electric motors and an additional torque source. That extra source appears to be a gasoline engine, which suggests Stellantis is laying the groundwork for new extended-range EVs.
The patent in question, WO/2025/184156, describes solving a three-dimensional optimization problem to balance torque delivery across each motor and the generator while keeping the battery charged. Essentially, it’s a roadmap for controlling a highly complex EREV platform.
Filed by FCA US LLC (yes, Stellantis is still using FCA officially for its North American operations) and published on September 4, 2025, the document represents the first time we’ve heard about this tri-motor EREV configuration from the automaker. The claim itself is very focused on the technical challenges, coordinating multiple drive units and generator output, but the potential application is what we find exciting.
Where Could It Fit?
What could this powertrain end up in? The folks over at CarBuzz think the next-gen Ram pickup is the most obvious answer. The Ramcharger already uses an EREV setup, and a tri-motor version could make for something capable of rivaling the Tesla Cybertruck but with more range. It could potentially tow more, too. Still, we think there could be a better application.
In China, the Maeextro S800 pairs three electric motors with a 1.5-liter turbo generator for up to 1,333 km (828 miles) of combined range, and the Yangwang U8 uses four individual wheel motors plus a 2.0-liter engine to deliver supercar-level performance and nearly 1,000 km 640 miles) range.
A New Chrysler Flagship?
This could be Chrysler’s opportunity to return with a statement vehicle. The brand currently sells only minivans and hasn’t had a proper flagship since the 300. A new Imperial equipped with a sophisticated tri-motor EREV powertrain could mark a dramatic re-entry into the luxury space, positioning Chrysler with something distinctive in a crowded market.
New study suggests EVs cost more to insure than gas cars, but comparisons seem mismatched.
Critics highlight flawed methodology and unclear data controls that may skew the findings.
While EV repair costs are high, warranties and modern engine replacements blur the gap.
Love’ em or hate’ em, electric vehicles are, on average, pricier to buy than their ICE counterparts. A new study suggests that they’re more expensive to insure as well – and we’re not talking about a few basis points. However, after digging into the details, the results are not as clear-cut as they seem.
The data in question comes from a study by Insurify. It leveraged over 97 million insurance quotes to determine the average rate for gas-powered and electric cars. Rates reflect full coverage on a 2020 model year or newer. In most cases, the quoted figures reflect a driver with a clean record and good or better credit. Overall, it says that EV owners pay 49 percent more to insure their cars.
Why Rates Run Higher
The explanation seems straightforward enough. EVs come with higher costs to start with, even when compared directly with gas-powered competitors and they’re typically more expensive to repair when they’re damaged. Parts are harder to come by and a damaged battery, for instance, can write off a car faster than an average engine failure.
On top of all this, keep in mind that EVs are often very new models with little to no aftermarket or junkyard support. It’s no wonder that insurance companies might build in a buffer for that risk.
Question Marks in the Data
Despite that, there are some questionable bits with the study. Some of the matchups mentioned raise eyebrows. For example, it directly compares the Tesla Model X to the Audi Q3 and the Mercedes A-Class goes up against the Tesla Model 3. These, however, aren’t really apples-to-apples comparisons, as some on Reddit pointed out. As one commenter put it, “Some of these comparisons make genuinely zero sense.”
What is important to note is the fact that ignoring certain factors like real-world repairability, warranty coverage, or depreciation curves, could tilt the figures against EVs quickly. In addition, each repair case is, to one degree or another, unique.
For example, while engine replacement typically isn’t as costly as a battery replacement, the true cost depends entirely on the car in question. On top of that, the federally mandated 8-year/100,000-mile EV battery warranty offered on every new EV reduces risk for owners, a factor that insurers might not fully weigh.
A Few Useful Takeaways
Even with the caveats, the study did highlight which EVs are cheapest to insure. Models like the Chevrolet Blazer, Nissan Leaf, Kia Niro EV, Hyundai Ioniq lineup, Ford F-150 Lightning, and the Subaru Solterra/Toyota bZ4X twins all made the list.
Still, whether the numbers are genuinely meaningful is up for debate. Insurance for EVs might trend higher for the time being, but with questionable methodology and comparisons, this study might say more about how we measure costs than it does about EV ownership.
After what felt like the end of the road for the Clean School Bus Program, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provided an update overview, including the anticipation of additional information regarding the 2024 rebate program.
In an email Monday, the EPA reminded awardees of next steps for the rebate and grant programs, provided program oversight and compliance, and shared resources and news.
For the 2022 CSB Rebate, EPA said it completed review of most school bus projects and Close Out Forms, or COF, submitted by rebate recipients. EPA also said it is actively working with selectees to ensure accuracy and completeness. For those who have not completed their COF, the EPA is working with those selectees to ensure it is submitted in an expedited fashion.
Additionally, EPA said it is performing site visits with all 2022 CSB rebate recipients.
Meanwhile, about 50 percent of the awarded funding under the 2023 CSB rebate program has been disbursed. The EPA is encouraging all selectees to submit their payment request forms (PRF) for those projects. If the PRF has not been submitted, selectees must either submit the form as soon as possible or request an extension via the online portal.
Upon completing the PRF, rebate selectees will receive an official funds disbursement email from the EPA, with the money typically available within seven to 10 days. Once selectees receive the funds they must “email the EPA’s Office of the Chief Financial Officer (EPA-CSB-FinancialReporting@epa.gov) within 10-business days of spending their funds on eligible expenses or passing the rebate funds to a third-party to complete the purchase for eligible expenses,” the EPA stated.
When school buses are deployed and replaced, and infrastructure is installed, the EPA stated that selectees will need to submit their 2023 COF.
EPA also reminded Clean School Bus Program grant recipients of the July 30 deadline for filing semi-annual reports, which cover January through June 2025. The EPA asked that all selectees submit their progress reports to the EPA project officer.
Additional information regarding the 2024 rebate program is forthcoming, EPA said.
The EPA is also hosting various webinars through its Office of Grants and Departments that could be of interest to grant awardees as well as webinars through the Automated Standard Application for Payments.
Current methods used to process hydrogen into a usable fuel are cost-prohibitive, but several new innovations are promising to open the door to cost-competitive green hydrogen. Hydrogen is well positioned to be the fuel of the future. However, a commercially viable transition to green hydrogen – the environmentally friendly version of the fuel – seems …
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