A bill before the Oregon legislature focuses on a growing fleet of electric vehicles (EVs) that don’t contribute the gasoline tax that helps cover state and local road construction and maintenance costs.

The ACEA – the European automotive association – foresees a “mixed” market outlook for “with strong demand in the so-called BRIC [Brazil, Russia, India and China] countries, while the economic situation in Europe is likely to keep dampening new passenger car sales.”

General Motors Corp. reportedly plans to launch the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) to all 50 U.S. states by the end of the year.

San Antonio-based refiner Tesoro Corp. reported fourth-quarter 2010 net earnings of US$3 million versus a net loss of $179 million for the same period in 2009.

European independent refiner Petroplus Holdings reported US$65 million net income for fourth-quarter 2010, compared with a net loss of $150 million for fourth-quarter 2009.

Europe’s Royal Dutch Shell Plc posted a 48.2% rise in adjusted profit for the fourth quarter of 2010, but missed analyst estimates for the first time in a year on weak refining margins.

NYMEX light sweet crude for March delivery finished at US$90.54 per barrel (/bbl), down 32¢ on February 3, as the euro strengthened the most since November 2010 against the dollar.

The member states of the European Union (EU) will only meet the goal of 20% renewable energy by 2020 if they follow a growth trajectory outline in their current plans, according to a February 2 report by the European Environmental Agency (EEA).