For years, we’ve been hearing about an EV technology that promises to be a game-changer: Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) bidirectional charging. My recent work with one V2G charger developer, Fermata Energy, has convinced me that V2G has found its proverbial killer app: load peak shaving for commercial/industrial energy customers. This article is going to concentrate on the… Read more »
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Use of aluminum growing faster than any other automotive material
A new survey reports that the use of aluminum is growing faster than that of any other automotive material, and is expected to grow to content levels of 514 pounds per vehicle (PPV) by 2026, up 12% from 2020 levels. The survey, conducted by DuckerFrontier, analyzes the latest information on material content for North American… Read more »
BMW X3 PHEV—finally worth plugging in
One of a coming wave of low-volume luxury plug-in hybrid SUVs, the 2020 BMW X3 xDrive 30e offers 18 miles of electric range—and the ability to use it in the real world. The 2020 BMW X3 xDrive 30e is the first conventional plug-in hybrid model from BMW that’s actually worth plugging in. It’s one of… Read more »
Michigan awards $1.7 million in grants for DC fast chargers
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) has awarded $1.7 million in grants for DC fast chargers along well-traveled routes around the state. The EGLE Charge Up Michigan Program grants will partially fund 36 EV DC fast charging stations with a total of 76 charging points. Charging stations have recently come online… Read more »
Startup Verkor plans to build 16 GWh battery gigafactory in France
After at least a year in stealth mode, French startup Verkor has announced plans to build a battery gigafactory in France. The facility, which is to open in 2023, will have an initial annual capacity of 16 GWh, which could be expanded to 50 GWh at a later date. The new company says it will… Read more »
Tampa, Florida secures federal grant to deploy four electric buses
The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART), which serves the Tampa, Florida, metropolitan area, has secured a $2.7-million federal grant to buy four electric buses, which are expected to be in service in two years. The federal grant will cover half the total project cost, which also includes underground wiring and charging stations. HART and… Read more »
Octillion Power Systems debuts new EV battery-leasing plan
Octillion Power Systems, a Tier 1 supplier of EV energy storage systems, has announced a new demonstrator battery-leasing program for fleet customers. Under the program, participating fleet operators will be allowed to source batteries through a five-year lease-to-own program, with no up-front payment. The goal of the demonstration program is to collect data on battery… Read more »
Nikola receives order for 2,500 electric refuse trucks
Zero-emission truck startup Nikola has secured an order for at least 2,500 electric refuse trucks (expandable up to 5,000) from Republic Services, the second-largest solid waste hauler in the US. Nikola says on-road testing is “likely to begin in early 2022,” and deliveries will begin in 2023. The new trucks will use Nikola’s Tre powertrain…. Read more »
New report: EVs will be a major disruptor for the US electric power sector
A new report from The Brattle Group finds that EVs will be a major disruptor for the US electric power sector. The group’s economists predict that the number of EVs in the US will increase from 1.5 million in 2020 to 10-35 million by 2030. They estimate that the electric power sector will need to… Read more »
GM to fund expansion of EVgo fast-charging network for electric cars
General Motors announced Friday that it would partner with the EVgo charging network to add an additional 2,700 fast-charging stations by 2025. The announcement comes a week before it unveils the 2022 Cadillac Lyriq electric luxury SUV, the first of up to a dozen new battery-electric vehicles it says it will offer in North America… Read more »