EVs -- California Sales Sag -- February 3, 2025

Locator: 48467EVS.

elektrek: link here. Highly recommend that you check out this site at least once a month. 99% of its articles are focused on EVs. It seems most of the articles highlight how well EVs in general are doing and that EVs in particular are doing very well. 

But, my takeaway, scanning through the site quickly, things are not going all that well in "EV-land." I thought I might be biased or missing something so I wanted to look at the time line: my thesis was that by this time, 2025, we should be a whole farther along the s-shaped curve than we are. So, using AI, I asked when did evs become "thing." I was surprised how AI knew exactly what I was asking: 

Now scanning elektrek this week, some headlines:

• Tesla's sales drop double digits in California, y/y, the US' biggest EV market;
• cutting-edge Renault Filante concept hopes to break EV efficiency records -- say what? Renault Filante -- that's where "hope" lies?
• the newest arrangement between AAA and ChargePoint, according to elektrek "is light  on details. It explains only that the [partnership] covers Level 2 AC charging as well as Level 3 DC-fast-charging stations AAA and CAA members in need of charging infrastructure can find more information at a Chargepoint-AAA website." The website is .... well, awful.
• Tesla sales tank in Europe;
• GM is cutting a shift at its EV plant in Mexico because Honda is cutting back on the EV that GM is producing for Honda; say what?

Below is the lead article with my introductory observation / comment:

Not said in the article: calendar years 2023 and 2024 were two of the best years ever for investors in the US stock market -- a lot of folks felt rich -- and yet, expensive EVs not being sold.

From Elektrek: 

The Two-Week Anniversary -- February 3, 2025

Locator: 48466TRUMP.

Breaking:

Is it just me or does it seem like the new president has accomplished a gazillion things in just two weeks?

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Movie Night

Double Indemnity, 1944.

I've watched this several times. Never gets old. 

I find it amazing how such films "stand up" after decades -- 2025 - 1944  = 81 years.

Feels like an Alfred Hitchcock movie. Especially since it includes a train scene, something Hitchcock always seemed to like.

And filmed during WWII. Amazing.

***************************
Movie Night

American Graffiti: Middlebury College. Relationships. Wiki. American Graffiti review, looking back, 5/12/2023.
Relationships, The New York Times: link here.
Apple's FindMe App: link here. The Gen Z generation is overthinking this.

Today Is The Two-Week Anniversary -- Whiting With Three New Permits -- February 3, 2025

Locator: 48465B.

Today is the two-week anniversary:

• DEI is dead
• Columbia, Venezuela, Panama, Mexico, Canada, and China appear to have gotten the message
• illegal border crossings have essentially come to a stop
• both Mexico and Canada promise significant increases in border security and their "actions" can be easily monitored, quantified
• the worst of the worse criminals illegally in the country will go to Gitmo; new facility to be built that will double the current capacity at Gitmo
  
• EU is getting the message that they need to pay their fair share
• Zelenskyy knows the "blank check" days are over
• Netanyahu arrives early this week to meet with Trump; first foreign leader to do so
• US Blackhawk helicopter -- AA crash clearly a fallout from Obama / Biden leadership / actions; no blood on Trump's hands
• will give Hespeth carte blanche to clean house at the Pentagon, US Army, and FAA
• Trump has fired all senior leaders at FBI involved in "weaponization" of Obama/Biden enemies
• foreign college students protesting for terrorist organizations and against Israel will have their visas revoked; one already has had her visa revoked;
  
• White House press secretary a breath of fresh air
• President Trump available to the press 24/7 it seems
• no one has to worry about what happens if Trump gets that 3:00 a.m. phone call; he will probably be the first president to actually carry the "nuclear code" in his head; won't require that "briefcase"
  
• All in two weeks.
  

So, tell me again, why the US equity markets crashed over the past three days. 

• Last Friday, and today, Monday, February 3, 2025, investors just experienced the most incredible buying opportunity they might have this calendar year.
  

Breaking: 

*******************************
Back to the Bakken

WTI: $72.38.

Active rigs: 37.

Three new permits, #41573 - #31575, inclusive:

• Operator: Whiting
• Field: Foreman Butte (McKenzie County)
• Comments:
• Whiting has permits for three Roosevelt Federal wells, NWNW 24-150-103, 
• to be sited 571/575 FNL and 538 / 604 FWL

Five permits renewed:

• Grayson Mill, all confidential:
• Sorenson, #38751, Sand Creek,
• Clear Creek Federal, #38760, Westberg,
• Clear Creek Federal, #38761, Westberg,
• Barracuda, #39573, Sandrocks,
• Fleck, #39574, Sandrocks,

Four producing wells (DUCs) reported as completed:

• 39211, BR, 2,116, Boxer 4C MB-ULW, McKenzie County;
• 38939, CLR, 549, Harms West Federal 3-32HSL1, McKenzie;
• 39315, CLR, 269, Quale Federal 3-1H2, McKenzie;
• 39316, CLR, 893, Harms East Federal 1-33H, McKenzie County;

Change of operator:

• From Iron Oil Operating to Kraken: about 50 wells; all in McKenzie Counties; following "family" names of wells involved:
• Anderson (1),
• Redwing (1),
• Stocke (5),
• Antelope (many),
• Bear Butte (many),
• Bowline (2),
• Ellsworth (3),
• Boxcar (1),

From AI:

I don't know if folks understand what AI can do, but based on my very, very, very limited experience, it is obvious that Sam Altman / OpenAI and Elon Musk / xAI are going to literally turn the US bureaucracy upside down. This stuff will be handed over to patriots still in the FBI; to US senators and representatives on "select committees"; and to his various czars. Not many stones will be left unturned. 

 And that's just a start.

Summer Weather Has Returned To North Texas -- February 3, 2025

Locator: 48464SUMMER.

Beautiful, beautiful weather here in north Texas. 

It is forecast to be sunny all week with temperatures in the high 70s and is forecast to hit 82°F on Thursday. If it hits 83°F that will be a record held since 1911! Then, Saturday, a high of 84°F is forecast.

1911: eighty-three years before Algore said we only had ten more years on earth if we didn't stop global warming. 

I'm so glad Algore wasn't convincing enough to keep from investing. The tell: the Obamas bought a McMansion on the coast. 

But, yes, winter is not quite over. We will cool down next week.

Everything's Bigger In Texas -- Second-Longest Conveyor To Move Sand In West Texas -- February 3, 2025

Locator: 48463SHALE.

Link here. Original story at Texas Monthly with paywall.