°®¶¹´«Ã½

A key lithium producer in Australia, the world’s top supplier, is urging electric car manufacturers and battery makers to become its partners in new refinery projects, arguing their direct financial backing is vital to avoid shortfalls of the material that’s crucial to the clean energy transition.

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden, a self-described “car guy,’’ often promises to lead by example on climate change by moving swiftly to convert the sprawling U.S. government fleet to zero-emission electric vehicles. But efforts to eliminate gas-powered vehicles from the fleet have lagged.

Auto sales to rental fleets used to be seen as a sign of failure. With the dawn of the electric vehicle age, that’s changing.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Sept. 29 announced that the state will follow California in requiring all new vehicles sold by 2035 be zero-emission, setting in motion the regulatory process to implement a law she signed last year.

Toyota Motor Corp. plans to keep gas-powered cars as a key part of its lineup, rejecting efforts by rivals to go fully electric amid concerns over how quickly consumers will embrace new technologies.

Taiwan’s Foxconn Technology Group has started building electric vehicles for Lordstown Motors Corp., a milestone as the company better known for making iPhones diversifies its operations.

Members of the International Council on Mining and Metals are planning a joint effort to test hydrogen and other zero-emission technologies in a bid to shift away from diesel-fueled vehicles.

President Joe Biden on Sept. 28 warned oil and gas companies against increasing prices for consumers as Hurricane Ian neared landfall along Florida’s southwest coast.

Ford Motor Co.’s redesigned F-Series Super Duty pickup may lack the sex appeal of the Mustang introduced earlier this month, but this hulking warhorse is critical to funding the automaker’s electric future.

WASHINGTON — All 50 states received final approval Sept. 27 to begin construction on a first nationwide network of electric vehicle charging stations that places one roughly every 50 miles along interstate highways, part of the Biden administration’s plan to spur widespread adoption of zero-emission cars.