Mack Trucks and Terex Utilities have announced plans to reveal the next generation of their zero-emissions utility bucket trucks at Work Truck Week in Indiana later this month – and it looks fantastic!
Co-developed by Terex Utilities and Mack Trucks on a Mack MD7 Electric Class 7 chassis, the new Terex bucket truck is a zero-emission utility capable of traveling longer distances and hauling more cargo wherever it’s needed to upgrade, or even restore power where it’s needed.
To make it work, Terex installed an Optima HR55 aerial device that draws power from a HyPower SmartPTO (Power Take Off) from Viatec. The SmartPTO replaces a conventional, mechanical PTO that’s powered by an internal combustion generator. In so doing, it avoids a loud idling engine while reducing utility workers’ exposure to toxic exhaust fumes and the heavy particulate emissions matter with idling diesels (even with Tier V standards).
“Our collaboration with Mack Trucks represents continued progress in zero-emissions utility vehicles,” explains Tyler Schwingler, Terex Utilities product marketing manager. “By combining our industry-leading Optima HR55 aerial device with Mack’s innovative MD7 Electric chassis, we’re providing utility companies with a solution that doesn’t compromise on performance or capability while supporting their sustainability goals.”
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In addition helping meet the company’s ESG goals, the Mack MD Electric is also equipped with the advanced 3rd Eye digital platform, which integrates AI-driven camera systems to enhance safety and productivity. With up to six HD cameras that display a real-time, 460-degree view on a 7-inch in-cab monitor. The bird’s-eye view all but eliminates blind spots when reversing and moving through high-traffic job sites.
“This electric bucket truck represents the next natural step in our commitment to sustainable transportation solutions,” says George Fotopoulos, vice president of E-mobility at Mack Trucks. “Our lightweight electric chassis provides the capability to handle more demanding applications, and when combined with Terex’ expertise in utility equipment, we’re delivering a solution that pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in zero tailpipe emissions utility vehicles.”
Terex will be bringing its new Mack MD Electric-based utility bucket truck to this year’s Work Truck Week at the Indianapolis Convention Center March 8-11.
Electrek’s Take
If all this news sounds familiar, that just means you’ve been paying attention. We covered the HyPower SmartPTO a few months ago in a story about Enwin Utilities. Those trucks were based on a Class 7 (33,000 lb. GVWR) International eMV Series BEV.
The International is a fine truck, of course – but the Mack MD Electric raises the bar a bit with more range than the eMV and more rear axle capacity than anything else in its class. The MD also has enough commonality with its HD cabs and chassis that parts availability seems to be top of the class. Pair that with parent company Volvo’s global reputation for quality and progressive ideologies and, well … let’s just say we all have our favorites.
The 2025 Ford E-Transit—an all-electric version of the automaker’s Transit van—receives some new options while holding steady on pricing.
An E-Transit cargo van costs $51,000 before destination—about the same as a 2024 model. Ford also offers chassis cab and cutaway versions priced at $46,200 and $45,700 before destination, respectively.
2025 Ford E-Transit
New for 2025 are four option packages aimed at specific trades. These include electrician ($4,370) HVAC ($4,440), and general contractor ($2,900) packages, as well as a $3,300 folding-shelving package with large shelves intended for delivery services.
Ford introduced the E-Transit for the 2022 model year, and upgraded it with a bigger battery pack for 2024. Those changes carry over for 2025, meaning the E-Transit continues with an 89-kwh pack affording up to 159 miles of EPA-cycle range. That pack powers a single electric motor, which sends 266 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels.
2025 Ford E-Transit
Expect unchanged peak DC fast-charging power of up to 176 kw, allowing the E-Transit to replenish 67 miles of range in 15 minutes, using a 180-kw charger. The E-Transit can also make use of an 80-amp Level 2 AC wallbox for a 6-hour, 11-minute, full recharge, as well as export up to 2.4 kw with its Pro Power Onboard system, shared with the F-150 Lightning EV as well as hybrid versions of the F-150 truck.
The E-Transit competes against electric versions of some of the same vans the standard Ford Transit fights with for fleet sales, including the Mercedes-Benz eSprinter and Ram ProMaster EV. Rivian also recently opened up sales of its electric van, originally designed for Amazon, to all fleets. And General Motors leverages its EV architecture for the BrightDrop electric vans, which were recently folded into the Chevrolet brand.
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Author news@greencarreports.com (Stephen Edelstein)
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From the immortal humorous lyrics of Shania Twain, my evaluation of FSD Supervised V12.6.3 (2024.45.32.15): That Don’t Impress Me Much! I’ve been driving with and obsessively using Tesla’s artificial intelligence software in my Model 3 now for over 5 years and nearly 150,000 miles, both on Interstate highways and city streets. Historically, I’ve been blown away by what Tesla’s AI can do, but here are some key problems with the latest version.
Figure 1: FSD Supervised V12.6.3 screen. Traffic Lights Visualized. I-15 exit American Fork, Utah. February 28, 2025. Photo by Fritz Hasler.
Note: All is not lost! There have been several software updates in the last few weeks. The latest one, V12.6.4, came today. It seems to have fixed many of the problems reported below.
For the first time, I’ve had to turn off the latest version of Tesla’s “Full Self Driving” Supervised, because I can’t make it behave.
In spite of my best efforts to keep my eyes glued to the road and my hand constantly putting torque on the steering wheel, after only a minute or two, I get the blue flashing warning of imminent death at the top of the screen. When I try to increase the torque on the steering wheel, the blue flashing continues until I actually disengage the software. (Note: holding the steering wheel shouldn’t even be an issue because the camera above the rearview mirror is watching my face and is better at observing driver attentiveness than tugging on the wheel.)
The only option that makes sense is to push the right stick up to disengage the software manually and pull it down again to start it again! (without the blue flashing for another minute or two)
The length of time FSD Supervised is working is so short that it’s not worth the trouble.
My only solution is to turn off FSD and only use traffic aware cruise control.
I can still use FSD sometimes on city streets, but on highways, particularly highways with many curves (like canyon roads), FSD is now unusable.
Elon Musk has been promising every year for the last five years or so that he will have level 5 driving automation working within 12 months in every Tesla car made in the last five years. He even seems to be betting that he will have robotaxis working in the next year or two. While I have seen major improvements in some areas, we seem to be no closer to full automation than we were 3 years ago.
Our editor in chief (Zach Shahan) speculates that we may be in a kind of seesaw loop now — Tesla makes an improvement in one area which makes it worse in another. Example: For the first time, in the last year, FSD usually slows you down for speed bumps and even sometimes for severe dips in the road (Utah above-surface sewers). The Utah surface sewer dips are severe enough that they will literally take the bottom off your car if you hit them at the speed limit. On the other hand, FSD has always had a problem with occasional “phantom braking” — in other words, slowing or braking for no apparent reason. Phantom braking seems to be more frequent now at slow speeds. Perhaps the car thinks there is a speed bump where none exists.
Other issues:
Less accurate steering: My previous car was a 2018 Nissan Leaf. The automatic steering assist worked fine on moderately curvy roads. My Tesla Model 3’s steering assist was initially much more robust and accurate. It worked fine on much sharper turns, and the latest versions of FSD handle the sharpest turns, including those on roundabouts. It would keep my car in the middle of the lane better than almost any human driver. Until now! Sometimes my car will drift to the right so badly that it has even put my right wheels on the gravel a few times. Not as frequently, it will put wheels on the double yellow lines in the middle of the road. Is there something wrong with my 5-year-old car, or is the steering assist function not as accurate as it was previously? [Editor’s note: I just drove for a few hours to a state/regional robotics tournament where my daughter is competing. I used FSD for probably less than one minute. I turned it on while on a high-speed but pretty narrow rural road, and the car got so close to the center lane that I wasn’t comfortable at all leaving it on. —Zach]
Can’t set speeds accurately anymore: Using previous versions of FSD Supervised, you could set an exact speed — say, 5, 10, or 15 mph over the speed limit — and your car would quickly speed up to that speed and hold it. It would also continuously show you the speed it had set. Now, FSD Supervised apparently thinks it is smarter than you and sets a speed sometimes only a few miles over the speed limit. Does it think the speed you set is unsafe? I don’t know the answer. Also, after a few seconds, the numerical display of the speed you set disappears, sometimes only replaced by the word. Standard. You have to change the speed you set in order for the speed display to reappear. Note: Tesla keeps messing with the graphics. The speed settings now appear in small blue letters in the upper left corner of the screen.
It’s now more difficult to stay in the HOV lane: In this part of northern Utah, I-15 has 12 lanes. The inner lanes are High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes. It means that if you have a passenger (2 occupants) or a clean energy permit, you can use the HOV lanes. I usually use the HOV lanes, since I have a clean energy permit. I always use the HOV lanes if I am traveling more than 10 miles on I-15. It means that I have no vehicles on my left and the vehicles are a little farther away on my right because there is a double white line. That keeps vehicles a little farther apart than the dashed lines that separate the other lanes. Also, if I come to a congested area, the HOV lane is usually moving faster than the other lanes. However, FSD Supervised usually tries to exit the HOV lane before I want to. In the previous version of FSD Supervised, I could make my car stay in the HOV lane by pulling down the turn signal lever (as you would do to indicate a left turn) and leaving it down. Tesla, in its wisdom, now turns off the turn signal after a few seconds. My car will usually stay in the HOV lane as expected when there is a double white line on my right. However, every few miles, it is replaced by a dashed line which allows you to legally exit the HOV lane. Then FSD supervised will often exit the HOV lane even though I don’t want it to do so. I must now hold the turn signal lever down or pull it down at just the right instant to keep my car from exiting the HOV lane.
Speed Bumps: FSD will now slow down for speed bumps, but not 100% of the time.
Doesn’t slow down for flashing 20 mph school zone lights: When school children are likely to be present, the yellow lights above and below the 20-mph school zone sign will flash. FSD Supervised doesn’t respond to the flashing lights and my wife recently got a speeding ticket for going through a school zone too fast. Every time you disengage FSD Supervised, Tesla gives you the option to send a recorded message explaining why you disengaged. I’ve had one conversation during my ownership with a live Tesla expert. The Tesla expert advised me to record a message every time my car failed to slow down for a school zone. He implied that every school zone needed to be marked in the database and I could help them do it.
If you find any of my articles helpful to you and you want to buy a Tesla, feel free to use my referral link: https://ts.la/arthur73734. If you are buying a new Tesla and use my link (be sure to use it when you make your order), you’ll receive $1,000 off your purchase price of a Model 3 or Model Y and 3 months of Full Self-Driving. (Just be prepared to intervene immediately if it screws up.)
Massachusetts is launching a first-of-its-kind statewide vehicle-to-everything (V2X) pilot program. This two-year initiative, backed by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), aims to deploy 100 bidirectional chargers to homes, school buses, municipal, and commercial fleet participants across the state.
These bidirectional chargers will enable EVs to serve as mobile energy storage units, collectively providing an estimated 1.5 MW of new storage capacity. That means EVs won’t just be getting power – they’ll be giving it back to the grid, helping to balance demand and support renewable energy use. The program is also focused on ensuring that low-income and disadvantaged communities have access to this cutting-edge tech.
The Massachusetts pilot is one of the largest state-led V2X initiatives in the US and is designed to tackle key challenges in deploying bidirectional charging technology. By strategically placing these chargers in a variety of settings, the program aims to identify and resolve barriers to wider adoption of V2X technology.
Massachusetts EV owners and fleet operators enrolled in the program will get bidirectional chargers capable of both vehicle-to-grid (V2G) and backup power operations at no cost. Here’s what they stand to gain:
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No-cost charging infrastructure: Bidirectional charging stations and installation are fully covered for participants.
Grid resilience: With an estimated 1.5 MW of new flexible and distributed storage assets, the program strengthens Massachusetts’ energy infrastructure.
Clean energy integration: V2G technology allows EVs to charge when renewable energy is available and discharge stored energy when it’s not, supporting the state’s clean energy goals.
Backup power: EV batteries can be used as backup power sources during outages.
Revenue opportunities: Some participants can earn money by sending stored energy back to the grid.
Clean energy solutions firm Resource Innovations and vehicle-grid integration tech company The Mobility House are leading the program’s implementation. “With the charging infrastructure provided through this program, we’re eliminating financial barriers and enabling school districts, homeowners, and fleets to access reliable backup power,” said Kelly Helfrich of Resource Innovations. “We aim to create a scalable blueprint for V2X programs nationwide.”
“Bidirectional charging benefits vehicle owners by providing backup power and revenue opportunities while strengthening the grid for the entire community,” added Russell Vare of The Mobility House North America.
The program is open for enrollment now through June 2025. For more details, visit the MassCEC V2X Program webpage. A list of eligible bidirectional vehicles can be found on that page.
Read more: Cambridge’s new solar VPPA is the largest ever by any US city
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Author Michelle Lewis
#Massachusetts #launches #twoyear #V2X #pilot #program
This year, utility-scale solar is expected to continue its winning streak as the largest source of new electricity generation. More than half of new power plant capacity built this year will be solar, followed by batteries, with 29% of total capacity. That’s a step up for batteries from last year. Meanwhile, solar’s share is forecast to fall, but EIA expects more construction in absolute terms — 32.5 gigawatts compared to 30 last year.
Wind will add 12% of the new capacity, burnished by two major offshore wind projects the EIA still expects to come online despite political headwinds: Massachusetts’ 800-megawatt Vineyard Wind 1 and Rhode Island’s 715-megawatt Revolution Wind. The Trump administration unilaterally halted federal permitting for new offshore wind projects, but these are among the five that were already under construction, with necessary permits in hand.
This dominant showing from clean energy developers leaves natural gas with just 7% of new power capacity. That fossil fuel still leads in total U.S. electricity generation with about 42% of the mix but has entered a multi-year slump in terms of new construction.
This dataset offers a snapshot of where the U.S. power industry is heading — and the direction is toward cleaner, cheaper energy that mainly comes from solar and batteries.
But beyond the climate metrics, these clean power plants are proving vital in meeting the needs of an increasingly power-hungry economy. Data centers, AI hubs, and the domestic manufacturing that grew during the Biden administration all need more electricity. Renewables and batteries are the source of energy that can meet this demand most quickly and cost-effectively, though they still need to work alongside other resources to ensure 24/7 service.
NIU, best known as a leader in the electric moped market, has expanded considerably over the last few years. In addition to offering a hot-selling new electric dirt bike and showing off concepts for electric ATVs, the company is now unveiling an electric microcar known as the NIUMM 500.
Still in its prototype stage, the two-seater NIUMM 500 electric microcar is designed to fit into L6e category of light quadricycles in Europe. As a quadricycle, these vehicles are technically not “cars” in the traditional sense (or in the legal sense), and thus have their own set of regulations that help streamline their path to production. Other popular microcars, such as the Citroen Ami, have taken a similar path and reached success with over 30,000 units sold.
With a target price of €8,000 (approximately US $8,300), the NIUMM 500 is intended to fill that niche role of a comfortable, weather-protected urban commuter, going beyond a typical moped or motorcycle with the advantages of locking storage and the ultimate achievement of staying dry in the rain.
In order to qualify as an L6e vehicle though, there are certain restrictions such as speed and power that prevent the NIUMM 500 from laying down the fastest lap times. A top speed of 45 km/h (28 mph) keeps the microcar city-oriented, though you could probably tell by looking that this isn’t a highway vehicle.
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In some countries, light quadricycles don’t even require a full car driver’s license, instead allowing the operator to hold a more easily-obtainable moped permit.
Despite the speed limitation, the little electric microcar has a lot going for it. The traditional steering wheel control and two-pedal drive setup will feel familiar to seasoned car drivers, yet the vehicle offers a more moped-like parking experience by taking up a mere fraction of a parking spot. The narrow size helps squeeze through tight city streets, though you likely won’t be lane splitting quite like a moped.
Back on the car-like side of things, electric locks and power windows come standard (including a power rear windshield), as does electric heating. Optional add-ons include a sun roof and air conditioning. There’s a decently large storage area behind the two seats, and another small storage area in front of the passenger seat.
And in another nod to its hybrid design, halfway between a moped and a car, the NIUMM 500 can even be outfitted with removable batteries (straight from NIU’s NQiX electric mopeds). The removable battery version allows apartment dwellers or others without access to street-level parking to still own and charge their own microcar. Just like how I charge my own NIU batteries at home, owners can simply carry the batteries up the elevator and charge them in their apartment.
For those with charging access though, there’s a fixed battery version with a larger 7 kWh capacity. It gets an impressive 118 km (73 miles) of range, compared to the removable battery version’s 60 km (37 miles) of range.
Both appear to feature the same 5 kW motor with a peak output of 10 kW – also the same drivetrain from the NIU NQiX electric moped.
NIU is currently showing off the new vehicle at the Motorrad show in Dortmund, Germany.
There’s no word yet on if or when the NIUMM 500 will see production, but based on conversations with company insiders, it sounds like NIU is fairly serious about the microcar’s future.
Here’s to hoping it sees the road soon, and that they can keep that target price in check on the way there.
Electrek’s Take
Yes, I’m all in on this!
I LOVE electric microcars. Give me a tiny car, a golf cart, whatever you want to call it, and I’ll take it. For city commuters, 25 mph is often sufficient, and since many people don’t feel safe on a scooter, these types of vehicles fit the bill as lighter and more efficient alternatives to a car that still carry some benefits of a scooter or moped.
I tested out Wink Motors’ vehicles in NYC a couple of years ago and got around the city just fine with a top speed of 25 mph, so I think these could even work in the US. But of course Europe is the primary target here thanks to their more conducive quadricycle laws.
If anyone at NIU is reading this, I will travel to review!
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Author Micah Toll
#NIU #unveils #electric #microcar #impressive #target #price
Join this webinar at our March Virtual Conference on EV Engineering, presented by CSM, where we will provide practical insights to help you improve your testing strategies, accelerate compliance, and deliver more robust products to market.
Reserve your spot—it’s free!
Other sessions at our next Virtual Conference include:
Testing EV Motor Control Units (MCU): How Simulation Is Vital To Success
Join Pickering Interfaces’ Noman Hussain and Christopher Kolbe for our session, where we will share insights on testing EV motor control units with simulation.
Discussion points will include the critical role of an inverter in battery electric vehicles (BEVs), which signals and features must be covered to create a successful validation plan, and practical applications for instruments like function generators, high-speed resolver modules, fault insertion, and thermal sensors in testing BEV motor control units.
Reserve your spot—it’s free!
See the complete session list for the Virtual Conference on EV Engineering here.
Broadcast live on March 10-13, 2025, the conference content will span the EV engineering supply chain and ecosystem, including motor and power electronics design and manufacturing, cell development, battery systems, testing, powertrains, thermal management, circuit protection, wire and cable, EMI/EMC and more.
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Author Charged EVs
#Safely #measuring #voltage #current #systems #evolutionary #breakout #modules #Webinar
In the pursuit of efficient and cost-effective power conversion, the industry is witnessing a paradigm shift towards the adoption of new technologies and innovative topologies. The increasing pressure to reduce system costs has led to the emergence of game-changing solutions, such as Gallium Nitride (GaN) and Silicon Carbide (SiC) power devices. These wide-bandgap semiconductors offer superior performance, enabling higher power density, faster switching speeds, and reduced losses.
When combined with novel topologies and advanced packaging techniques, these new technologies are unlocking unprecedented opportunities for system cost savings.
Join this webinar at our March Virtual Conference on EV Engineering, presented by Infineon, to learn how designers can leverage the unique characteristics of GaN and SiC to create more compact, efficient, and reliable power conversion systems that minimize component count, reduce thermal management requirements, and optimize overall system performance.
Reserve your spot—it’s free!
Other sessions at our next Virtual Conference include:
SelVCD: A Revolutionary Way Of Driving Power MOSFETS In Gate Driver Application
Gate drivers are fundamental and ubiquitous components in power electronics systems. But as demands for higher performance and efficiency mount, traditional gate drive architectures face significant shortcomings for use in next-generation applications.
Skyworks’ SelVCDTM technology overcomes the limitations of traditional gate driver architectures to unlock unprecedented efficiency, performance, and reliability for power electronics applications. SelVCD technology is currently available to customers in the new Si82Cx (single channel) and Si82Fx (dual channel) gate driver families from Skyworks. The Si82Fx 2-channel High-Performance Isolated Gate Driver is the industry’s first to feature the selectable variable current drive with a Miller clamp on both outputs. The Si82Cx is also the industry’s first single channel gate driver to feature both SelVCD and a Miller clamp on the output pin.
Join this session to learn more. Key Takeaways:
What is SelVCD?
Why is SelVCD “Revolutionary?”
What are the benefits of SelVCD in Isolated Gate Driver applications?
Reserve your spot—it’s free!
See the complete session list for the Virtual Conference on EV Engineering here.
Broadcast live on March 10-13, 2025, the conference content will span the EV engineering supply chain and ecosystem, including motor and power electronics design and manufacturing, cell development, battery systems, testing, powertrains, thermal management, circuit protection, wire and cable, EMI/EMC and more.
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Author Charged EVs
#GaN #SiC #revolutionary #xEV #power #conversion #saving #cost #space #Webinar
The company designed its own battery hardware, giving it far more capacity than the market-leading home battery systems. Base Power wrote its own software to govern the batteries and operate them as a decentralized fleet bidding into the wholesale markets. And the startup does its own sales, installations, and long-term maintenance.
The corporate strategy, Dell explained, is to create “compounding cost advantage through vertical integration.” If Base Power bought, say, Tesla Powerwalls and resold them to customers, it would have to give Tesla a margin. If it paid outside firms to knock on doors and pitch batteries, those commercial evangelists would also take their cut. Contracting out for installation further dilutes the profits, and so on.
“Because we do all these things, we can take cost out of every part of the system and then pass those savings down to the customer in the form of low prices,” Dell said. “As our returns go up and our cost of capital goes down, our intention is to build the largest and most capital-efficient portfolio of batteries in the country.”
Minimizing cost and reliance on outside parties makes fundamental sense, and yet fledgling startups typically shy away from taking on so much for fear of biting off more than they can chew.
“It’s really hard,” Dell admitted. However, “because it’s so hard, there’s not a lot of people who can do it.”
It’s a business strategy that calls to mind the ancient bristlecone pines that occupy a remote, arid mountaintop between the eastern Sierras and California’s border with Nevada. The trees suffer extremes of heat and cold and thirst and wind, but when they persist, they carve out a niche where few competitors can survive. The oldest bristlecones predate the pyramids of Giza.
Growing ecosystem of home-battery aggregators
The do-it-all approach also distinguishes Base Power from others that are similarly trying to get more batteries into people’s homes.
German company sonnen has been working on this challenge for over a decade and operates a vast network of home batteries in Germany that make money in power markets there. In the U.S., the company partners with solar companies and sometimes with real estate developers to sell its batteries. Sonnen launched a no-money-down battery offering in Texas with a company called Solrite, which had put equipment in more than 1,000 homes as of January, a similar volume to what Base Power has installed.
Neither sonnen nor Solrite are retail electricity providers in Texas, though, so they need to pair up with companies that buy and sell power and can monetize the batteries’ ability to arbitrage. The Solrite deal requires people to sign up for 25 years and buy out any remaining value if they want to quit before the quarter-century mark. Base Power, in contrast, asks customers to commit to a three-year retail contract, and the cancellation fee is $500, to cover removing the battery system.
Other climatetech-savvy retailers offer special deals for people who buy their own batteries. Great Britain’s Octopus Energy has entered the ERCOT market and offers modest monthly credits per kilowatt-hour of storage capacity if residents let the company manage their home batteries. Octopus uses its software to shift consumption to times with abundant renewable generation, thereby lowering the cost of serving those households.
Startup David Energy offers retail plans in which the company optimizes customers’ battery usage to minimize their overall electricity bill. Tesla itself opened a Texas electricity retailer subsidiary that pays customers a fixed credit of $400 per year for each Powerwall pack that they allow to discharge to the grid, up to three Powerwalls.
Those providers still need customers to front the money or take out a loan to install their own batteries, which constrains how quickly battery adoption can grow. On the other hand, that model means those companies can focus on honing their energy software and trading strategy and don’t have to spend millions of dollars to install and own batteries that might one day pay for themselves.
Base Power pays for its buildout with a mix of equity, debt, and tax credits, Dell noted. Investors funded an $8 million seed raise led by Thrive Capital and a $60 million Series A led by Valor Equity Partners. As for making money, Base Power uses the batteries to arbitrage energy in the ERCOT market from the renewables-filled times of plenty to the valuable hours of scarce supply. The company is currently undergoing qualification to bid ancillary services, a more complex suite of market offerings that maintain the quality and reliability of the grid.
Solid state batteries have entered trailblazer mode. Pretty much every big automaker and battery plant is working on making a commercially-available product—a race to achieving that sweet, sweet equilibrium between cost, scalability, and viability that lets a piece of conceptual tech make its way into the car parked in your driveway. But while some automakers have begun to test the tech in cars, others, like Kia, warn that the real deal is still years away.
Welcome back to Critical Materials, your daily roundup for all things electric and automotive tech. Here’s what’s on the docket today: Hyundai and Kia say solid state batteries are a pipe dream until the top of the decade, Nissan’s CEO could soon be forced out, and Stellantis tells Trump he’s slapping tariffs on the wrong cars. Let’s jump in.
30%: Hyundai Says Solid State Batteries Are Coming… Eventually
Photo by: Kia
Solid state batteries have long been hyped up as the next big thing in EVs for some time now. And why wouldn’t they? The tech promises longer ranges, faster recharging, and the potential for more power output with far less overall degradation than today’s battery tech. But the needle is always moving in pursuit of solid state batteries—and now Kia warns that the solid state batteries aren’t as easy to make (or as close to production) as some think.
At Kia’s 2025 EV day, Hyundai took some time to quash industry hype and set expectations around just what’s going on in the battery world. Specifically, Spencer Cho, Hyundai Motor Group’s Global Product Planning Chief, warned that commercialization of the solid state batteries that the company plans to use in its Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis-branded EVs doesn’t look achievable until at least 2030.
“I don’t think we can commercialize these batteries before 2030,” said Cho during the event, according to Automotive News. “Once our engineers believe that we have credible technologies that we can bring, then we might produce them on our own.”
The exact timeline wasn’t spelled out by Cho, which speaks to the uncertainty that he’s trying to paint. Specifically, the Hyundai executive warns that the industry is underestimating the sheer complexity of these batteries. From the actual progress that has been made so far in the tech to manufacturing at-scale—these are still problems that need to be worked out industry-wide.
Japan’s automakers aren’t so sure that Hyundai’s timeline makes sense. Instead, many automakers are pushing forward with the hopes that their aggressive timelines will play off by making them one of the firsts to market. Among them:
Toyota says that its first solid-state EVs will be ready by 2027 or 2028 (though it does chart 2030 as its timeline for mass production).
Honda is testing out its “game-changer” solid state packs that promise up to 620 miles of range
Nissan—should it last that long—believes that it will have a solid state battery with twice the capacity of lithium ion on the road by 2028
If any of Japan’s automakers succeed in their bullish timeline, they could gain a huge competitive advantage over other automakers. The bump in the road is that battery breakthroughs are notoriously difficult and Hyundai’s cautious approach could pay off if early adopters struggle with production or reliability.
Let’s be clear: Hyundai isn’t sitting still and letting the rest of the industry pass it by. The automaker is still working on the tech behind the scenes while simultaneously working to improve existing battery chemistries, whether that be Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries in more affordable vehicles or Nickle Manganese Cobalt (NMC) cells in cars that need more performance.
That being said, if you’ve been holding out on a new EV because you’re worried about solid state batteries popping up in every new car over the next few years, it’s probably a decent bet that a purchase made will be a safe one—as long as you trust Cho’s industry insight, that is.
60%: Nissan Is A Mess And Its CEO Could Be The First To Go
Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida with the Chill-Out concept
If Nissan were a person right about now, they’d be that guy named Lou trying to pawn off his watch and car keys while sitting at a blackjack table. The automaker is in deep—not only has its only lifeline, Honda, withdrawn from the table, but its only suitor appears to be Foxconn, which would put Nissan in the hands of a foreign-vested powerhouse.
Needless to say, this has put Nissan’s actual leadership in a bit of a panic. Directly in the doghouse is the company’s CEO, Makoto Uchida, and his future at the automaker is looking bleak at best. Recent reports indicate that Nissan’s board has begun to prepare for Uchida’s replacement, citing the recent financial nosedive coupled with the hubris-filled $60 billion partnership collapse.
Nissan directors are gauging interest in potential candidates to succeed Makoto Uchida, the 22-year company veteran who’s been CEO since late 2019, one of the people said, asking not to be identified because the deliberations are private. Nissan declined to comment.
Uchida, 58, told reporters earlier this month that while he was prepared to relinquish his position if asked, he didn’t want to step down before steadying Nissan’s business. He braced investors for an ¥80 billion ($536 million) net loss for the fiscal year ending in March, a far cry from the ¥380 billion net profit he was forecasting just nine months ago.
If a dishonorably departed CEO wasn’t enough to stir the pot, know that just prior to the rumors of Uchida’s possible separation, all three major credit raters downgraded Nissan to “junk” status. Their reasoning? To put it simply: sales are weak, earnings are down, and Nissan has “uncertain prospects for recovery.”
Will Uchida’s departure solve that? Not alone. The automaker might want to put another pilot in the cockpit to stop the spiral, but it doesn’t mean that they can land the plane without some additional help. That might be through a merger, or perhaps through a strategic brand rework. But both of those things require something Nissan doesn’t have the luxury of—time.
Now, here’s the thing: the merger between Nissan and Honda? It could still happen. That’s contingent, however, on Uchida being ousted from the automaker—something previously unfathomable as part of the merger.
90%: Stellantis Tells Trump To Target Someone Else
Photo by: InsideEVs
Stellantis chairman John Elkann has a message for U.S. President Donald Trump: if you’re going to impose 25% tariffs on cars, at least target the right ones.
In a recent earnings call with investors, Elkann warned that the federal government is taking aim at the wrong automotive players. Rather than blanket tariff North American trading partners, Elkann says that Trump’s team should be instead looking into the four million vehicles imported into the U.S. every year without a single U.S.-sourced part on board.
That, according to the chairman, is “the real opportunity” to close a “loophole” in the system. Vehicles that are part of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) must already comply with parts content requirements—something that Trump’s administration previously negotiated during his first term in the Oval Office.
Elkann’s cries might be falling on deaf ears, though. Trump has already pledged tariffs on foreign steel and vehicle imports, the latter of which is something that automakers are scrambling to plan for like they’re going through a revolving door.
Ford CEO Jim Farley previously warned that these tariffs could “blow a hole” in the U.S. auto industry and hand European and Asian brands a huge competitive advantage. And let’s not forget the very likely possibility of auto executives and lobbyists working behind the curtain to convince the current administration to budge. So far, their pleas have gone unanswered.
If Trump follows through as promised, automakers like Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis—the Detroit “Big Three”—are looking at billions of dollars in increased costs. Those costs aren’t just going to disappear, either. They’re going to get passed down to buyers, forcing up car prices and potentially beginning an uptick in inflation all over again.
Automakers are sounding the alarm already: car prices will go up. That means sales could take a hit and auto manufacturing jobs up and down the supply chain may be at risk. And all because the wrong cars are being targeted.
100%: Will You Wait For Solid State Batteries?
With all of this hype around solid state batteries, consumers are rightfully pumped about the future of EVs. Faster charging, more performance, better range. What’s not to like?
The reality is that these batteries seem to be years away from production. And to top it all off, despite promises of cheaper batteries in the long-run, automakers aren’t even really sure how affordable these will be at the start of production (meaning that even the earliest solid state batteries could be reserved for higher nameplates or trims).
So here’s where I ask you the important question: Are you holding your breath for solid state batteries? Will it be the reason you upgrade your car or make an EV purchase in the future over what’s available on the market today? Let me know your thoughts on the emerging tech in the comments.
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