Latest news with #Batch
Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Sydney Morning Herald
The range of EVs is surging, but certain fears are holding back sales
Consumer doubts about the longevity of electric vehicle (EV) batteries and the lack of a second-hand market are preventing more people from buying EVs, even as the number of options proliferates. The government forecasts that EVs will one day dominate Australian roads but the latest figures show the proportion of new cars sold that are EVs has slowed to only 5.9 per cent of the market. New research from insurance giant NRMA says key reasons Australians lack confidence in electric cars include doubts over owners' ability to find qualified EV technicians when they need repairs, and concerns about the viability and safety of second-hand EV parts, including batteries. NRMA, which said there were 80 EV models available and more were expected in the coming months, also flagged customer concerns about how to safely dispose of EV batteries at the end of their use. The report, based on interviews with 2079 people including 91 EV owners and 280 individuals considering EV ownership, showed more than 60 per cent of existing owners were concerned about the lack of qualified technicians who could repair them, and almost all of them said they expected their insurer to have access to EV technicians. NRMA Insurance chief executive Julie Batch said the absence of qualified EV technicians was an issue compounded by a national shortage of automotive repair technicians. 'Nationally there are 38,000 unfilled automotive positions right now, and EVs are different. So you need both those skills that are current in automotive technicians, panel beaters, repairers, things like that, and you need to add to those things,' Batch said. She said filling that void would require upskilling an already dwindling industry. The automotive sector has also previously warned of a shortage of technicians to service the growing number of EVs on the roads. The Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce has said the industry would probably need two to three times the current number of qualified EV technicians. An additional 68 per cent of those surveyed by NRMA were concerned about recycling and disposing of EV batteries, and less than one-third of drivers said they'd be comfortable using a recycled battery. They cited fears over battery fires, especially when charging vehicles, despite evidence suggesting EV battery fires are rare.
The Age
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Age
The range of EVs is surging, but certain fears are holding back sales
Consumer doubts about the longevity of electric vehicle (EV) batteries and the lack of a second-hand market are preventing more people from buying EVs, even as the number of options proliferates. The government forecasts that EVs will one day dominate Australian roads but the latest figures show the proportion of new cars sold that are EVs has slowed to only 5.9 per cent of the market. New research from insurance giant NRMA says key reasons Australians lack confidence in electric cars include doubts over owners' ability to find qualified EV technicians when they need repairs, and concerns about the viability and safety of second-hand EV parts, including batteries. NRMA, which said there were 80 EV models available and more were expected in the coming months, also flagged customer concerns about how to safely dispose of EV batteries at the end of their use. The report, based on interviews with 2079 people including 91 EV owners and 280 individuals considering EV ownership, showed more than 60 per cent of existing owners were concerned about the lack of qualified technicians who could repair them, and almost all of them said they expected their insurer to have access to EV technicians. NRMA Insurance chief executive Julie Batch said the absence of qualified EV technicians was an issue compounded by a national shortage of automotive repair technicians. 'Nationally there are 38,000 unfilled automotive positions right now, and EVs are different. So you need both those skills that are current in automotive technicians, panel beaters, repairers, things like that, and you need to add to those things,' Batch said. She said filling that void would require upskilling an already dwindling industry. The automotive sector has also previously warned of a shortage of technicians to service the growing number of EVs on the roads. The Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce has said the industry would probably need two to three times the current number of qualified EV technicians. An additional 68 per cent of those surveyed by NRMA were concerned about recycling and disposing of EV batteries, and less than one-third of drivers said they'd be comfortable using a recycled battery. They cited fears over battery fires, especially when charging vehicles, despite evidence suggesting EV battery fires are rare.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hundreds of bills never stood a chance this legislative session. They had one thing in common.
Democratic leader Robert Reives notes that more than 700 Democratic-sponsored bills never received a hearing this session. (Photo: NCGA screengrab) North Carolina House and Senate Democrats held a funeral of sorts Tuesday, highlighting the hundreds of bills they introduced this session that were then directed to the Rules Committees of the two houses, the proverbial legislative graveyard. Senate Democratic Leader Sydney Batch (D-Wake) said Democrats introduced over 700 bills this session that were killed in committee. 'Common sense, community focused solutions to our state's biggest problems — and they went nowhere,' Batch said. 'Republicans didn't debate or defeat these ideas. They shoved them in drawers, locked them behind doors, and they prayed every single day that the public never finds out how little they're actually doing with their tax dollars that you will send to this state to run our government.' Batch said gerrymandering has allowed Republicans, who chair the committees, to completely control which bills advance and which never see the light of day. Sen. Woodson Bradley (D-Mecklenburg) said she came to Raleigh hoping to make communities safer, only to find her ideas silenced by the majority party. 'I may be a freshman senator, but I'm also a domestic violence survivor. I'm a responsible gun owner and concealed carry holder. I'm the daughter and wife of law enforcement. I know crime. I know cops. But more important than that, less than 5% of the people in this building know what it's like to be a victim. And that's who I came here to help,' said the Mecklenburg County Democrat. Bradley said the ideas she championed were basic protections and deserved to be fully debated. 'We hear a lot from the other side about protecting families and standing with law enforcement. But if you won't even bring a bill to the table that protects survivors of abuse or helps officers prevent gun violence, what are you standing for?' Sen. Lisa Grafstein (D-Wake) said that even ideas that had merit like allowing remote license renewals to ease the NC DMV backlog were dismissed, if the idea came from a Democrat. 'Democrats introduced real solutions for fixing what ails us in state government, hiring critical staff, investing in the infrastructure behind state services. But Republicans actually didn't want to fix it. They wanted to exploit the failings to support their talking-point that government doesn't work.' Senate Bill 611 would have taken an estimated one million North Carolinians out of lines at the DMV allowing them to complete their task online, said Grafstein. But Republicans kept the bill bottled up and allowed it to die rather than make the May 8 crossover deadline. 'The Republican majority would rather have people stand in line all day and get frustrated because it fits that narrative that we just need to slash more and privatize.' Rep. Lindsay Prather (D-Buncombe) said bills that would restore teacher longevity pay and establish a $17 an hour minimum salary for non-certified public school employees also failed to gain traction. Legislative leaders also dismissed both the Voucher School Accountability Act and the Voucher School Transparency Act. 'These are bills that would shine a light on private schools receiving public funds, giving more information to parents to make an informed decision, and more information to taxpayers on whether your money is actually going to provide a quality education to a North Carolina student.' Prather said decisions not to take up those bills shortchanged North Carolina's children and their parents. As a Captain in the US Army National Guard, Rep. Dante Pittman (D-Wilson) said he has learned not to surrender. He's still advocating this session for the Working Families Act (House Bill 786) that would raise the state's minimum wage, increase the stock of affordable housing and reenact the child tax credit. 'Not all hope is lost. And I would offer for them to take these good ideas and include them in the budget. Because what we're trying to do here in North Carolina is make sure that our children have the opportunity that they need and our families are secure.' The North Carolina House will begin the process of unveiling parts of its state spending plan on Thursday.
Axios
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Local Limelight with Wake County Sen. Sydney Batch
State Sen. Sydney Batch, a Triangle native, is North Carolina's first Black female minority leader in her chamber. Why it matters: Since she burst onto the political scene when she won her race for a Wake County House seat in 2018's blue wave, Batch has become a rising star in her party and made a rapid ascent in the ranks of state politics. She assumed one of the most powerful positions in North Carolina politics in December, when Senate Democrats ousted political giant and longtime lawmaker Sen. Dan Blue as minority leader and installed Batch in his place. We talked with Batch for our latest Local Limelight conversation. The Q&A has been edited for Smart Brevity. 🥩 Favorite place to eat in the Triangle? Oak Steakhouse or Salsa Fresh. 🏀 What do you think the Triangle is missing? Another professional sports team. 🤳 What's your first read in the morning? Text messages. 📖 Last great book you read?" The Good Lord Bird" by James McBride. 🎧 Go-to podcast?" How Stuff Works." ⛱️ Favorite place to go for a long weekend? The beach, and if she had to pick one: Carolina Beach. 🎓 How did you end up in the Triangle? Batch grew up in Chapel Hill and has three degrees from UNC-Chapel Hill, including a law degree and master's in social work. After graduation, she founded Raleigh law firm Batch, Poore & Williams with her husband. "It would fundamentally change people's lives," Batch said. What's something you're looking forward to, unrelated to politics/your work? Going on family vacation with her extended family in Cancun this summer. How do you unplug at the end of the day? Putting a jigsaw puzzle together while watching a TV show.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
'We should be mad as hell': NC legislators who've survived breast cancer seek improved detection
A radiologist reviews the results of a mammogram. (Photo: Getty images) When Senate Democratic Leader Sydney Batch (D-Wake) was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 39, she was not thinking about the cost of treatment. She was only thinking about her boys. 'My kids were five and seven. I was just thinking about whether or not I would live long enough to be able to dance with my sons at their weddings,' Batch recalled at a Tuesday press conference. Batch, a primary sponsor of Senate Bill 553, said the 'Save More Tatas Act' would provide health coverage parity for breast cancer diagnostic imaging. Far too many women in North Carolina don't get diagnosed with breast cancer early, because they don't get the proper diagnostic treatment and preventative treatment that would save their lives. 'Most importantly, you sure as heck shouldn't be in a situation where women are denied access because they can't afford the actual screenings,' said Sen. Batch. Sen. Val Applewhite (D-Cumberland) said when she retired from the United States Air Force after 20 years, she received a screening mammogram as she was processed out of the military. It came back normal. A year later she credits divine intervention with saving her life. 'My mother, who had passed years earlier, came to me in my dream. She said, 'Val, go get a mammogram.' So, I made the appointment. And that's when I got the diagnosis, I had breast cancer. I was lucky.' Applewhite was lucky that she was working at the Pentagon. She received her cancer treatment at Bethesda Naval Medical Center, the same place the President of the United States receives medical care. 'That access, plain and simple, is what saved my life. Too many people in North Carolina don't have that,' said Applewhite. The Cumberland County Democrat said another portion of SB 553 would allocate $3.5 million to help recruit and retain mammography technologists in rural and underserved areas. Rep. Mary Belk (D-Mecklenburg) is yet another member of this extraordinary sorority of breast cancer survivors. Belk said she had finished a grueling day of campaigning in 2016 when she felt something. She didn't want to call it a lump. That was too scary. But she made time for an overdue breast exam. 'I heard the words that no one wants to hear: You have breast cancer,' said Belk. 'I was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer, three months before my first election.' Approximately 14,700 women in North Carolina will have breast cancer this year. Fourteen hundred will not survive, Belk said. But with first rate care, her cancer went into remission. She was one of the lucky few who did not worry about the cost of imaging. 'Women who need these medically necessary tests are skipping them because they cannot afford the co-pays,' said Belk. Breast MRIs in North Carolina can cost anywhere between $260 and over $1,300, depending on one's health plan. Belk is the primary sponsor of House Bill 297. The Breast Cancer Prevention Imaging Parity bill would require insurance companies to cover diagnostic, screening as well as supplemental breast exams to the same extent as mammograms. This coverage is especially important for women with dense breasts who are at risk of being diagnosed at later stages. Sheila Mikhail falls into that category. The self-described 'serial, biotech entrepreneur' created multiple companies in the Research Triangle Park along with thousands of well-paying jobs. Yet when cancer was found in her left breast, she repeatedly had to push for additional screenings of her right breast. The oncologist told her she was causing a 'ruckus', but the office would do a supplemental test at a cost of $1,200. The breast MRI found a second tumor that was not detected by an ultrasound or a diagnostic mammogram. 'I was fortunate because I could afford to pay. I found my right tumor just before it metastasized.' Mikhail wants lawmakers to pass both HB 297 and SB 553 and have insurance companies cover supplemental ultrasounds and MRIs for breast cancer. But the time to pass these bills this session is growing short. May 8th marks the crossover deadline for bills to pass at least one chamber to stay eligible for consideration. Senate Bill 553 has been stuck in the Rules committee since March. Belk's bill ('Breast Cancer Prevention Imaging Parity') was approved by three House committees, but before a floor vote in mid-April, it was withdrawn from the House calendar and kicked back to the Rules committee. No reason was provided. Batch said she has had many, many conversations with her Republican colleagues, but faces opposition because some insurance companies don't want another mandate that requires them to pay for additional coverage. Sen. Applewhite said this should not be a partisan issue. She'd like female voters to call their representatives. 'You know our breasts are not Democrats or Republicans, but the men in this building that have power, don't help us — won't help us save lives. We should be mad as hell.'
