When it comes to a comparison between Ford’s electric F-150 Lightning with the legacy gas version of the popular pickup, you can probably guess which model we at Charged prefer. But the folks at Pickup Truck + SUV Talk have a little different perspective. Publisher Tim Esterdahl, a self-described “truck guy,” has raised some reasonable… Read more »
California’s Antelope Valley Schools Transportation Agency (AVSTA) has announced plans to buy 20 BYD electric school buses. The buses will be built in Lancaster, California at the BYD Coach & Bus facility by members of the SMART Union. The BYD Type D Battery Electric School Bus has a top speed of 65 miles per hour… Read more »
Joby Aviation (NYSE:JOBY), a California-based company developing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, has announced an expansion of its existing contract with the US Air Force’s Agility Prime program that increases the total potential value of the contract to more than $75 million. The expanded contract will include new testing to evaluate Joby’s technologies,… Read more »
The day when all EVs can charge at any and all charging stations just moved a little closer, as Tesla announced the availability of a CCS adapter in the US. Of course, Tesla drivers can use the company’s superlative Supercharger network, but until now they’ve been unable to use most non-Tesla DC fast chargers in… Read more »
Auto dealers have long been considered a bottleneck for EV sales, and automakers that are serious about selling EVs are working closely with their dealers to make the necessary changes (and to weed out those who really don’t want to go electric). Ford has now unveiled an electrification strategy to its 3,000-strong dealer network. Dealers… Read more »
Blue Arc EV Solutions is a new brand of The Shyft Group, which manufactures and upfits vehicles for the commercial, retail and service specialty markets. Blue Arc made its debut in March with a purpose-built commercial EV chassis; an electric Class 3 walk-in delivery van; and a portable, remote-controlled charging station called the Power Cube…. Read more »
MintAir has signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with Dallas-based Jaunt Air Mobility to purchase up to 40 Jaunt Journey electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Jaunt is working on an eVTOL aircraft using Slowed Rotor Compound (SRC) technology, which slows the rotor once aloft (the rotor tip speed equaling the aircraft’s pace) thereby… Read more »
Air Canada has announced plans to buy its first electric airplanes—an order of 30 battery-electric regional aircraft from Heart Aerospace. The airline has also acquired a $5-million equity stake in the Sweden-based manufacturer. Heart’s ES-30 aircraft is currently under development, and is expected to enter service in 2028. It can carry 30 passengers seated three… Read more »
GM came up with an elegant solution to the problem of dealers whose hearts aren’t in the EV transition. When the automaker confirmed plans to make Cadillac an all-electric brand, it offered its dealers a choice: invest in the necessary upgrades to sell EVs, or take a cash buyout. That process has now ended, and… Read more »
French President Emmanuel Macron made a campaign pledge to help make EVs more affordable. Now the government is rolling out a subsidized leasing program for low-income households. “We know that for many French [EVs] remain very expensive,” Budget Minister Gabriel Attal said in a recent interview. The new program will make EVs available for 100… Read more »