A major Japanese battery maker has stopped construction on a $1.6 billion plant in South Carolina, citing “policy and market uncertainty” tied to electric vehicles and global trade.
Automotive Energy Supply Corp. (AESC) said Thursday it’s temporarily halting work on the factory in Florence, which is meant to supply batteries for electric BMWs made in the state.
The company didn’t list specific concerns, but South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster pointed to worries over changes to federal EV tax credits, incentives for clean energy businesses, and potential new tariffs under President Donald Trump.
“We’re urging caution,” McMaster said. “Let things play out — all these changes are happening at once.”
AESC has pledged to restart construction, though it hasn’t given a timeline. It says it will still meet its promise to hire 1,600 workers and invest $1.6 billion, and has already spent $1 billion on the site.
The Florence plant is meant to supply battery cells to BMW, which is building its own assembly plant nearby. BMW says the AESC delay won’t affect its timeline to open in 2026.
South Carolina had previously pulled back $111 million in planned incentives after AESC scaled down its original plans. But the company is still set to receive $135 million in grants and $121 million in state bonds.
The pause comes as other clean energy projects in the U.S. are also facing uncertainty tied to Trump’s trade stance. An earlier analysis found $14 billion worth of clean energy projects have been canceled nationwide.
Still, South Carolina continues to bet big on EVs. Scout Motors, owned by Volkswagen, plans to open a $2 billion plant in the state in 2027 to build electric SUVs.
North Korea strongly condemned the U.S. strike on Iran, calling it a grave violation of Iran’s sovereignty and security interests.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will hold an emergency Board of Governors meeting today after U.S. attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Canberra supports the U.S. strike on Iran and calls for de-escalation and diplomacy.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that U.S. strikes hit entrances to tunnels storing part of Iran’s enriched uranium at the Isfahan nuclear site.
Global oil prices surged on Sunday as the Israel-Iran conflict continued to rattle markets, with Brent crude rising 3.9% to $80 per barrel and U.S. crude climbing 4.3% to $77 per barrel.
North Korea strongly condemned the U.S. strike on Iran, calling it a grave violation of Iran’s sovereignty and security interests.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will hold an emergency Board of Governors meeting today after U.S. attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Canberra supports the U.S. strike on Iran and calls for de-escalation and diplomacy.
China has condemned the U.S. strike on Iran’s nuclear sites, warning it has undermined Washington’s credibility and risks triggering a broader regional crisis.
Some Democratic and Republican lawmakers are urging Congress to limit President Donald Trump’s military actions in Iran, warning against deeper U.S. involvement in the escalating Middle East conflict.
Iranian missiles struck multiple locations across Israel and neighbouring regions early Friday morning, including a Microsoft office complex, according to emergency responders and local media reports.
A high-speed tram derailment in central Gothenburg, Sweden, has left at least eight people injured late on Thursday (19 June), after the vehicle slammed into a snack bar on Avenyn Avenue.
China has unveiled a mosquito-sized bionic drone designed for covert military operations and battlefield reconnaissance, marking a major advance in micro-robotics and stealth technology as part of the country’s growing focus on next-generation warfare capabilities.
The 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit was held June 15–17 in Kananaskis, Alberta, under Canada’s presidency. Prime Minister Mark Carney framed the meeting around priorities of protecting communities, energy and climate security, the digital transition, and future partnerships.
The USS Nimitz is heading to the Middle East amid tensions between Israel and Iran. The U.S. aircraft carrier has a decades-long history in the region, from the 1979 hostage crisis to modern deployments, often serving as a key asset during periods of rising friction with Iran.
Pope Leo XIV spoke to political leaders in Rome on Saturday, urging them to remember that artificial intelligence is just a tool — not a replacement for humans.
The European Space Agency (ESA) has outlined an ambitious vision for human settlements in space by 2040, with autonomous “space oases” on the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
China has unveiled a mosquito-sized bionic drone designed for covert military operations and battlefield reconnaissance, marking a major advance in micro-robotics and stealth technology as part of the country’s growing focus on next-generation warfare capabilities.
In what experts are calling the most extensive data breach in digital history, nearly 16 billion user records have been compromised globally, according to a new investigative report by Cybernews.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has alleged that Meta Platforms offered signing bonuses as high as $100 million to OpenAI employees in an attempt to recruit top talent, underscoring the intensifying competition among tech firms for artificial intelligence expertise.
North Korea strongly condemned the U.S. strike on Iran, calling it a grave violation of Iran’s sovereignty and security interests.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will hold an emergency Board of Governors meeting today after U.S. attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Canberra supports the U.S. strike on Iran and calls for de-escalation and diplomacy.
China has condemned the U.S. strike on Iran’s nuclear sites, warning it has undermined Washington’s credibility and risks triggering a broader regional crisis.
Some Democratic and Republican lawmakers are urging Congress to limit President Donald Trump’s military actions in Iran, warning against deeper U.S. involvement in the escalating Middle East conflict.
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