Electrifying commercial vehicles is a critical part of reducing emissions, so it’s frustrating that the pace of fleet electrification has been so slow. Viable commercial EVs have been around for years, but fleet operators insisted on conducting years-long pilots to prove their reliability. Now that phase is over, and companies are starting to place substantial… Read more »
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BrightDrop: GM’s silent push into electric commercial vehicles
Upcoming electric passenger vehicles and light trucks from GM get most of the attention, but its new commercial EV brand is a quiet and very serious push too. Many US drivers now have a vague idea that General Motors is doing something with electric vehicles. They’ve seen Super Bowl ads for the GMC Hummer EV,… Read more »
Emporia’s energy management system prepares for the bidirectional EV charging future
Total control of power usage: from solar to EV and back to the house. Bidirectional charging promises to completely transform the vehicle ownership experience. Once an EV can double as a stationary storage device, it will take its place as part of an energy ecosystem that includes rooftop solar and energy management—and could even become… Read more »
Marelli launches a wireless BMS for EVs
Global automotive supplier Marelli has introduced a wireless battery management system for EVs that will be available beginning in the second quarter of 2022. The Wireless Battery Management System (wBMS) offers wireless communication between the batteries and the control unit. The company says, “Compared to previous wired distributed solutions, the new wBMS reduces the wiring… Read more »
Over 300 battery gigafactories in the global pipeline
As EV demand steadily grows, automakers and their suppliers are wisely hustling to increase battery production capacity—preferably close to their auto plants and markets. Benchmark Mineral Intelligence reports that there are currently over 300 battery gigafactories in the construction or planning stages around the world. This represents some 6,388 GWh worth of battery capacity, a… Read more »
EV subscription service Onto adds Fiat’s New 500 to its fleet
Onto, the UK-based all-inclusive EV subscription service, plans to add 600 Fiat New 500s to its fleet. Onto aims to offer a flexible alternative to traditional car ownership—it currently offers 24 electric models from such brands as VW, Renault, Audi and Tesla. Subscriptions start at £379 per month. Onto plans to offer the New 500… Read more »
J.D. Power: Most EV smartphone apps leave much to be desired
Modern drivers depend on smartphone apps to manage charging and other vehicle functions. However, it will probably be no surprise to learn that a recent study from consumer insight specialist J.D. Power found a low level of customer satisfaction with the apps provided by various EV-makers. The recent OEM EV App Benchmark Study gauged EV… Read more »
CPUC approves three new PG&E vehicle-to-grid pilots
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has approved $11.7 million in funding for Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) to develop three new pilot programs to test ways in which bidirectional EVs and chargers can provide power to the electric grid and various benefits to customers. PG&E will test bidirectional charging technology in a variety… Read more »
Are nickel-based batteries on the way out?
Is a new standards war—or rather, a chemistries war—developing? There are several important differences between the NMC and LFP battery chemistries, but the most salient points seem to be that batteries based on NMC (nickel, manganese, cobalt) offer higher energy density, but those based on LFP (lithium iron phosphate) tend to be cheaper. Chinese automakers… Read more »
EVs For All Act would bring EV car sharing and charging to US public housing residents
“The success of our clean energy future requires that every resident, regardless of income, is included in the electric vehicle transformation,” says US Representative Nanette Díaz Barragán (CA-44), the sponsor of the EVs for All Act, which would provide residents of 50 public housing projects nationwide with access to zero-emission cars and charging infrastructure. The… Read more »