Compared To Gas-Powered, Electric Vehicles Cut Greenhouse Emissions Over 30%

 EVs mitigate a considerable amount of greenhouse gas emissions. As Trancik told me “In most locations, compared to [gas-powered vehicles], EVs produce emissions savings greater than 30%. Most savings are greater depending on the geographic location, the electricity supply, and the vehicle model.”

One such comparison yielded an EV that reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 57% compared to its gas-powered comparable vehicle.

How so? Using the Carbon Counter, I compared the greenhouse gas emissions per mile of the Hyundai Kona Electric ($37,190 and 201 HP HPQ +5.6%) to the comparable gas-powered Hyundai Kona AWD 1.6L ($23,600 and 175 HP).

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Tesla, other EV companies ask for federal investment in heavy-duty truck charging

Tesla, along with other electric vehicle companies and environmental groups, asked the Biden administration to invest in charging infrastructure for electric buses, trucks, and other medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.

The groups want the administration to allocate 10 percent of the money for electric vehicle charging in the bipartisan infrastructure bill signed last November — a pot that includes $7.5 billion — to go toward infrastructure for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, they said in a letter to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg this week.

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US infrastructure is nowhere near ready for Biden’s electric vehicle timeline

U.S. policymakers are going all-in on electric vehicles (EVs), but the supporting infrastructure will require vast upgrades to be ready for the giant changeover.

President Biden recently announced an objective of increasing U.S. EV production to 50 percent of the U.S. fleet by 2030. It’s a very aggressive goal.

Current production sits at just 3-4 percent. Even to reach a more realistic 10 percent, the industry must undergo a massive transformation. We’ll need hundreds of thousands of new charging stations. We’ll need more electricity and better ways to store it. And though Biden is providing $3.1 billion in grants to seed the process, the private sector will need to step up in a major way.

Regardless of pace, automakers are fully on board. They know this is their future. There is no Plan B. The only question is how fast we get there. Here’s an assessment of the challenges ahead:

https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/3502897-us-infrastructure-is-nowhere-near-ready-for-bidens-electric-vehicle-timeline/

Stellantis CEO warns recession could harm EV adoption

Carlos Tavares, CEO of Jeep maker Stellantis NV, on Tuesday warned that a recession could be disastrous for the automotive industry as economic policymakers increase interest rates to curb inflation.

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Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Announces FY2022 Clean School Bus Rebates

Background and Award Information EPA’s new Clean School Bus Program provides $5 billion over the next five years through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to replace school buses with low- and zero-emission (ZE) school buses. EPA is currently offering $500 million in the 2022 Clean School Bus Rebates Program for ZE and low-emission school bus rebates. The funding is split into two pools of $250 million for clean school buses and ZE school buses. Each application may include up to 25 buses for replacement. Rebate amounts range from $15,000 to $375,000 depending on the type of bus and school district prioritization criteria. Selected applicants applying for replacement ZE school buses will be allocated funding for charging infrastructure installation. Eligible Applicants Eligible applicants include state and local governmental entities that provide bus service, public school districts, eligible contractors, nonprofit school transportation associations, and Indian tribes, tribal organizations, or tribally controlled schools responsible for the purchase of school buses or providing school bus service for a Bureau of Indian Affairs funded school. Important Dates EPA is hosting a webinar on how to apply May 24 at 1:00PM ET. Applications are due August 19, 2022. More>>

EV Sales Strong Despite Supply Chain Restrictions

Electric vehicle sales are growing at a high-speed pace, according to the latest report from the International Energy Agency. More EVs are now sold each week than in all of 2012 combined. Sales, which topped 6.6 million in total in 2021, have already crossed the 2 million mark in the first quarter of 2022 despite supply chain restrictions and shortages.

EV popularity continues to grow, with sales last year doubling the 2020 numbers and an estimated 16.5 million electric cars cruising roads by the end of 2021, tripling the 2018 numbers. China in particular has seen a concentrated amount of growth, tripling its adoption rate in 2021 to 3.3 million EVs sold, while European sales grew 65% over the year and the U.S. doubled its EV sales in 2021.

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Industry heavyweights unite in U.S. battery push

First look: Auto giants are joining with battery companies, EV startups and lithium producers in a new coalition seeking stronger federal support for building a large U.S. battery supply chain, Ben writes.

Driving the news: The Coalition for American Battery Independence (CABI) launches today.Members include General Motors, Ford, Panasonic, Tesla, Form Energy, Albemarle, Proterra and the Zero Emission Transportation Association.
The group, run via the lobbying firm Boundary Stone Partners, targets batteries for electric vehicles and storage.
The goal: cohesive support for everything from raw materials processing and refining to component manufacturing to making battery packs.

Why it matters: Battery demand is slated to surge in coming years and decades.

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Detroit public transit system adds 4 electric buses to fleet

The Detroit Department of Transportation added four electric buses to its fleet on Monday as part of a pilot program for greener technology. California-based Proterra, an electric bus manufacturer, provided the fleet, which will be charged up at the Shoemaker Terminal on Detroit's east side.

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Automakers are jacking up prices on electric vehicles to bake in rising materials costs

Battery prices have been declining for years, but that may be about to change. One firm projects a sharp increase in demand for battery minerals over the next four years that could push the price of EV battery cells up by more than 20%. That’s on top of already-rising prices for battery-related raw materials, a result of supply-chain disruptions related to Covid and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.


The higher costs have some electric vehicle makers boosting their prices, making the already-expensive vehicles even less affordable for average Americans and begging the question, will surging commodity prices slow the electric-vehicle revolution?

Legacy advantage: The established global automakers have greater economies of scale than companies such as Lucid or Rivian and haven’t been hit quite as hard by rising battery-related costs. They, too, are feeling some pricing pressure, though they’re passing on the costs to buyers to a lesser degree.

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SWTCH Energy, Charging and Energy Management Startup, Secures $13M in Venture Capital Funding

SWTCH raises $13 million to guarantee that all North American cities have equal access to electric vehicle charging infrastructure 5/6/22

SWTCH Energy, a startup offering EV charging and software-based energy management alternatives, has secured $13M in new funding from venture capitalists to extend its EV options across North America. They are working in the multi-family, public, and workplace charging infrastructure segments. This Canadian company founded in 2016 has experience in the Canadian market deploying charging infrastructure.

Ford Teases a New Electric Car to One Up Tesla, GM, and Rivian

Ford Teases a New Electric Car to One Up Tesla, GM, and Rivian 5/6/22

Ford's strategy of targeting the pickup truck segment for its early electric vehicle efforts seems to be targeting competitors Tesla, GM, and Rivian as it seeks to make a name for itself on the new electric F-150. The electric F-150 already has 200,000 reservations and Ford plans to deliver 600,000 electric vehicles worldwide by the end of 2023. The competition in the pickup EV sector will include F-150 Lightning must take on Rivian's R1T and GM's GMC Hummer EV.

Penske Truck Leasing Adds Orange EV Electric Terminal Trucks to its Fleet Offering

Penske Truck Leasing Adds Orange EV Electric Terminal Trucks to its Fleet Offering 5/4/22

Penske Truck Leasing will be adding Orange EV electric terminal trucks as a fleet offering in the U.S. Orange EV Terminal Trucks are designed for short distance moves like warehousing, distribution centers, terminals, and truck yards. The trucks will be leased/maintained by PENSKE, features include zero tailpipe emissions, 24 hour operation on a single charge, and remote diagnostics.

Delta Debuts Bidirectional V2X Charger

Delta debuts two-way vehicle-to-X charger, 50kW wallbox and off-grid charger 5/4/22

Delta Electronics, a Taiwanese technology company, has announced an assortment of electric charging solutions which includes a bidirectional V2X charger they partnered with Australian EV charging software company Everty on. The charger is a 50kW DC wallbox with with a solar-off grid solution that is designed for rural electrification. The charger has 95% peak efficiency and a max 115kW output.

Apple snags longtime Ford exec as the iPhone maker powers up EV car project

 Apple snags longtime Ford exec as the iPhone maker powers up EV car project 5/3/22 

Apple has hired Desi Ujkashevic, Ford’s global director of safety engineering, to provide them with expertise on the auto industry as they develop a fully electric autonomous vehicle.  

Apple has faced issues with delays and regulatory concerns that have pushed this project back, but they appear to move into the EV/AV market now.

Georgia sets $1.5B in aid for electric vehicle maker Rivian, Largest Incentive Package Any State Has Ever Given AutoPlant

 Georgia sets $1.5B in aid for electric vehicle maker Rivian 5/3/22 

In a signal to the bipartisan interest in EVs, GA is giving Rivian $1.5B worth of incentives to build a $5B EV plant east of Atlanta, creating 7,500 jobs.  

This is the largest incentive package any state has ever given to an auto plant. Rivian pledged they will reach full investment and job targets by the end of 2028. 

Electrifying the 10 Million Vehicles Under Tennessee Valley Authority Would Add 25-30% To Existing Load

Can the grid handle millions of EVs? In Tennessee, distribution systems will be ‘canary in the coal mine’ 5/2/22

The Tennessee Valley Authority covers over 10 million vehicles in its service territory, if they were to all electrify it would add 25-30% to the existing load but utility studies say it can handle it. While utilities are capable of meeting this demand, experts are saying that coordination with fleet owners, local governments, and OEMs is essential. TVA's senior project manager isn't worried about grid impacts and believes there will be no near-term bottlenecks. 

Stellantis has designated $35.5B towards EVs and Software Development over the Next Year

 Stellantis, Trudeau invest $2.8 billion to boost EV production in Canada 5/2/22 

Stellantis has designated $35.5B towards EVs and new software development over the next year in its effort to be carbon net zero by 2038. This includes $2.8B in spending to ramp up EV production at two Canadian plants. The new EVs from these factories are expected to be equipped with their new software technology that they expect to earn $22.5B annually from. These technologies include the “STLA Brain” which is a cloud technology that allows for over air software upgrades, the “SmartCockpit” which is a platform built with Foxconn to delivers navigation, voice assist, and payment services, as well as “AutoDrive,” which was developed with BMW to deliver automated driving features.