Electric school buses seem like a no-brainer at this point—although they cost two to three times more up front than diesel buses, at about $230,000 each, they save money in the long run, as fuel and maintenance costs are about 80 percent lower. They’re also prime candidates for future vehicle-to-grid (V2G) applications, which could generate… Read more »
EV sales soared in Europe in 2020, and at least two legacy automakers, Daimler and Volkswagen, appear on track to meet the EU’s stringent emissions targets for the year. For the Volkswagen brand (part of the larger Volkswagen Group, which also includes Audi and Porsche), 2020 was “a turning point [and] a breakthrough in electric… Read more »
BNSF Railway and Wabtec, a provider of equipment, systems and services for freight and transit rail, have collaborated to develop a battery-electric locomotive. Now they have begun testing the technology in revenue service between Barstow and Stockton, California. The battery-powered locomotive will be situated in a consist [a sequence of locomotives and/or cars] between two… Read more »
Bus manufacturer New Flyer has won a contract for 12 Xcelsior CHARGE battery-electric transit buses from the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT), with options to purchase up to 63 more over five years. The purchase was supported by Federal Transit Administration funds. CTDOT, which owns and operates nearly all public transportation services in Connecticut, representing… Read more »
Fast charging network operator Electrify America has announced a collaboration with EVNoire Mobility Intelligence Consulting Group in a campaign to increase awareness of EVs in African-American communities throughout California. EVNoire’s market research shows many African-American communities in California and nationally have a growing interest in adopting electric vehicles. EA’s investment will support EVNoire’s development of… Read more »
Commercial EV builder Lightning eMotors has received a $45-million order for its zero-emission powertrain systems from Minnesota-based motorcoach supplier ABC Companies. The order includes new vehicles manufactured by Lightning, as well as new Lightning-developed powertrains that will be upfitted by ABC into customers’ existing vehicles. In addition to Class 8 motorcoaches, the order includes Class… Read more »
Commercial truck OEM Dennis Eagle’s electric 26-ton refuse collection vehicle has gone into service with customers around the UK, and early customers are giving it glowing reviews. The eCollect is based on Dennis Eagle’s Elite 6×2 rear-steer chassis with Olympus 19-cubic-meter body and Terberg automatic split bin lift. This is the company’s best-selling vehicle configuration,… Read more »
Commercial EV-builder Motiv Power Systems has secured $20 million in financing from investment firm Crescent Cove Advisors, and expects to raise additional funding at the close of the Series C funding round now in progress. Motiv plans to use the new capital to scale operational and manufacturing capabilities to meet growing demand. Motiv’s EPIC product… Read more »
German auto giant Daimler has announced a new plan to invest €70 billion ($85 billion) in “research and development and in property, plant and equipment” between 2021 and 2025, the lion’s share of which will be used “to accelerate the transformation towards electrification and digitization.” Most of this investment will be at Mercedes-Benz Cars, but… Read more »
Proterra is best known as an electric transit bus OEM, but it has branched out into providing electric powertrain solutions to other vehicle manufacturers and turnkey charging and energy management solutions to fleets. The company has long been considered a likely candidate for a public share offering, and now it has announced that it will… Read more »