On today’s slightly confusing episode of Quick Charge, we’ve got a 675 hp AUDI concept that isn’t really an Audi, a self-driving Tesla hitting the roads around Giga Texas while the company pulls all the demand levers in Europe, electric garbage trucks from Mack arriving in Wisconsin, and more!
In addition to the latest new AUDI wagon to hit China, we explore BYD’s rise in the global market place and Australia’s big shit towards a nationwide V2G network to support that country’s energy grid.
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Diamond Edge Ventures (DEV), the US-based investing arm of Japan’s Mitsubishi Chemical, has invested in Boston Materials, a US startup manufacturing critical materials for semiconductors, aerospace parts and automotive components.
Boston Materials has developed a manufacturing process that produces a new class of materials that are conductive and durable like metal yet light like plastic. The underlying technology, Z-axis Fiber, uses vertically aligned carbon fibers and has the potential to be used in thermal management applications for composite materials across many industries and applications.
DEV co-led the company’s $13.5-million financing round with AccelR8, a Boston-based impact venture capital fund. The financing also included participation from Valo Ventures, Gatemore Venture Partners, Collab Fund, and Woori Venture Partners.
“Mitsubishi Chemical Group’s materials and innovation resources offer Boston Materials the opportunity to further co-develop materials and applications using our Z-axis Fiber technology. DEV’s strategic investment validates the importance of our materials to MCG’s industry partners and customers in electronics, automotive, and aerospace,” said Anvesh Gurijala, founder and CEO of Boston Materials.
Leah Stokes and Adrian Deveny helped craft the Inflation Reduction Act, the most consequential climate law in U.S. history. Now they’re planning how to keep it alive through the next four years of a Donald Trump administration.
That plan starts with pushing through as much climate funding and regulation as possible in the waning days of the Biden administration and fighting attempts from a hostile Trump administration to claw that progress back after Inauguration Day.
It continues with pushing federal, state, and local policymakers to ensure the clean energy projects and factories financed by the law’s hundreds of billions of dollars of tax credits create jobs in Republican-controlled states and districts. Those jobs must make a difference in people’s lives to give them a personal stake in fighting for the energy transition — and to give their lawmakers an incentive to protect the climate law making them possible.
And unfortunately, the plan will require coping with “some really devastating losses in that fight in the next four years,” said Stokes, a professor and climate policy expert at the University of California, Santa Barbara, who worked with groups such as Rewiring America to help craft key energy provisions of the law.
“I am not 100 percent doom and gloom,” she said during a Thursday event hosted by The 2035 Initiative, the university-affiliated think tank she helped launch two years ago. But then, she conceded, she’s an optimist — “I thought Kamala Harris was going to win.”
Deveny, founder of policy advisory firm Climate Vision and former director of energy and environmental policy for U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), admitted that he’s “less optimistically predisposed.”
That’s largely based on his 13 years working on climate issues in Congress, the first 10 of which yielded no progress on federal climate legislation. But the patience and preparation paid off with a raft of achievements during the Biden administration — the bipartisan infrastructure law in 2021 and the IRA and CHIPS and Science Act in 2022.
“The Biden administration has had some incredible successes,” Deveny said, not just in terms of investment in clean energy projects and manufacturing facilities, but also in booming employment in the clean energy sector. The U.S. Department of Energy reported in August that clean energy employment increased by 142,000 jobs in 2023, growing twice as fast as the U.S. economy overall.
Still, even the laws on the books are not sufficient to bring the U.S. in line with the Biden administration’s climate commitments, including halving greenhouse gas emissions from 2005 levels by 2030 and shifting to carbon-free electricity by 2035. “We would have had to have passed another IRA-sized bill next year to be on track to meet our 2030 goals,” he said. “To be on track to meet our 2035 goals, we would have had to pass a bill two to three times the size of the IRA next year.”
But “the truth about climate is that doing nothing is not an option, and every ton reduced is a future that’s a little less bad,” Deveny said. “And so we always have to fight to eke out every ton that we can.”
Here’s how Stokes and Deveny think advocates can keep climate progress moving in the right direction in the years to come.
From Biden to Trump 2.0
Between now and January 20, when Trump will be sworn in for his second term, the directive is clear: Lock in as much of the Biden administration’s clean energy agenda as possible.
Over the last few years, the federal funding created by the IRA and other major bills has not flowed as quickly as its backers had hoped. That’s because the federal government moves slowly, Deveny said.
“They have already been working at lightning speed for federal agencies — which is not really lightning speed — but they’re moving as fast as they can,” he said.
But with Trump pledging to claw back any unspent funds from the IRA, “getting that money out the door is critical, because any unspent money is at risk of not ever getting spent,” Deveny said.
That rush is already underway. In the past few months, the pace of federal funding announcements has accelerated, with DOE grid-modernization grants and loans for distributed solar and clean fuels manufacturing, U.S. Department of Agriculture grants for rural electric cooperatives, and financing from the Environmental Protection Agency’s “green bank” program for community solar, electric trucking, electric school buses, and building efficiency. Two days after the election, the DOE’s Loan Programs Office finalized a $475 million loan for a battery recycling facility. More can be expected between now and Inauguration Day.
Federal agencies are also finalizing rules and regulations at a breakneck pace, Stokes said. “There are civil servants working in the IRS, in the White House, and the DOE and EPA who have already been working very long hours for months and years, and that’s only going to ratchet up.”
The goal of that work is to cement the legal standing of key Biden administration policies, including EPA rules limiting methane flaring and leaks from oil and gas operations, restricting carbon emissions from fossil-fueled power plants, and setting emissions standards for light-duty and heavy-duty vehicles.
“Regulations can’t just be thrown out,” Stokes said. The last Trump administration’s efforts to undo Obama administration climate and energy policies ran into a buzzsaw of legal and administrative challenges.
“There are just a ton of organizations with exceptional lawyers who have an incredible track record of success catching any sloppiness” in drafting regulations, Deveny said.
To be clear, a second Trump administration may choose to violate legal and administrative guidelines and statutory obligations, Stokes warned. “When we start thinking about anti-democratic institutions, we have to start thinking about coloring outside of the lines.”
Leaning into the Inflation Reduction Act’s non-climate benefits
It’s not yet clear whether Republicans will retain a majority in the House of Representatives, and if they do, by what margin. If they end up controlling both houses of Congress, the industrial-policy theory built into the Inflation Reduction Act could be key to keeping the law alive.
“If you actually make stuff in America, like solar panels and electric vehicles and batteries, you have jobs here in this country,” Stokes said. “And if those jobs flow to Republican and rural districts, it’ll be much harder to repeal.”
Toyota on Friday gave the first indication of a renewed pushback against California’s ability to set stricter emissions standards and wind down sales of gasoline cars.
“At this point, it looks impossible,” Toyota North America COO Jack Hollis said in a virtual roundtable with CNBC and other media, regarding California rules that call for 35% of 2026-model-year vehicles in those voluntary California-compliant states to be electric, on the way to ending sales of most new vehicles with internal-combustion engines by 2035.
2024 Lexus RZ
According to the California Air Resources Board (CARB), which sets the state’s emissions standards, 12 other states as well as the District of Columbia have signed on for the stricter rules. But Hollis argues that there isn’t enough demand to support these targets, and that they are already leading to “unnatural acts” in which automakers ship a disproportionate amount of electrified vehicles to states that follow the California rules.
These comments are mainly significant for their timing. After fighting California’s ability to set its own, stricter emissions standards, Toyota essentially agreed to a truce with CARB in 2022. For passenger cars and trucks, little in CARB’s top-level emissions rules has changed in the interim, and signs of EV demand look higher than six to 12 months ago. But now that Donald Trump has won a second term Toyota appears to once again be emboldened to resume the pushback.
2025 Toyota RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid
Toyota had tried, with the previous Trump administration—along with GM, Stellantis’ previous corporate entity, and several other foreign automakers—to take away California’s authority to set its own vehicle emissions standards. Ford, Honda, BMW, VW, and Volvo were among the companies that didn’t try to topple California’s ability to combat emissions on its own terms—allying with the state instead on a deal.
While Toyota has been pushing toward hybrid volume, not EV volume, all along, GM’s moves have remained the most puzzling. It continued to attempt to derail California rules behind the scenes—while pushing toward an all-EV, non-hybrid future, while being criticized by Trump for a plan that wouldn’t work.
Source link by Green Car Reports
Author news@greencarreports.com (Stephen Edelstein)
#Toyota #Californialed #mandates #quotimpossiblequot #meet
A Nikola Tre hydrogen fuel cell electric truck. Nikola shipped 90 of these trucks in the most recent quarter. (Nikola Corp.)
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Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles may be envisioned as the future workhorse of a decarbonized North American longhaul freight sector, but the development and adoption of these zero-emission trucks has proceeded at a measured pace.
Designing and building trucks with a new vehicle architecture and powered by a fuel that requires a completely new fueling infrastructure was bound to be complex and therefore unlikely to happen overnight, and that’s proving to be the case.
Unlike the battery-electric trucks that have entered the market in recent years, hydrogen FCEVs are equipped with a hydrogen fuel cell stack — which generates electricity to run the vehicle’s electric powertrain — along with a hydrogen storage system.
“It’s really complex, even without adding cooling systems,” said Mike Roeth, executive director at the North American Council for Freight Efficiency. “If you had a diesel truck, a battery-electric truck and a hydrogen FCEV truck next to each other, you’d [say], ‘My, hasn’t that gotten complex.’ ”
The ecosystem is creeping forward as a consequence, with established truck makers not putting all their eggs in one basket while industry disruptors set the pace as they try to stay afloat — as is often the case across many corners of the automotive and other industries.
Phoenix-based Nikola is one of the few hydrogen fuel cell truck makers to reach serial production in North America — after a number of tumultuous years — but CEO Steve Girsky wants to see competition in a business that he described as lonely right now.
“We’re happy that other people are coming — big companies, small companies. More the merrier because we’re trying to build out an ecosystem here,” Girsky told analysts Oct. 31 during the company’s third-quarter earnings call. Nikola, which shifted its full attention to hydrogen fuel cell trucks from battery-electric trucks in May 2023 because of battery supplier problems, is open about the complexity of the task it and others face.
“This isn’t just about doing what everybody else is doing and trying to do it better. We’re doing something that nobody else has done yet. And it’s not easy,” Girsky said during the call. “We grind through it every day, but that’s why people show up to work here.”
And infrastructure concerns (read more on page 14) are inhibiting even some of the biggest players in the truck making world.
Daimler Truck told Transport Topics that it planned to start series production of hydrogen-powered vehicles at the end of this decade, noting it was a “conscious decision because the ramp-up of the infrastructure is slower than with battery-electric drive technologies.”
(Nikola Corp.)
Industry observers are also keen on hydrogen fuel cell trucks, but they say their time is not here yet.
“We see the opportunity for this technology, but it is not going to happen for some time,” S&P Global Mobility Principal Research Analyst Greg Genette told TT, adding that he expected an acceleration of the segment in the late 2020s, although that acceleration would be the launch of more models rather than high production volumes.
The foremost fundamental challenge is presenting a solid business case to customers, said Ray Minjares, heavy-duty vehicles program director for the International Council on Clean Transportation.
Hydrogen fuel tractors are more fuel efficient than a diesel counterpart at 7.6 miles per gallon versus 6 miles per gallon, but a battery-electric semi is near 13.5 miles per gallon, according to ICCT.
Nikola shipped 90 hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks in the most recent quarter, compared with three in the year-ago period, while many other players continue to test their products. Nikola’s record sales in the quarter include the purchase of 20 FCEVs by J.B. Hunt Transport Services as well as adding a customer outside California or Canada, DHL Supply Chain.
J.B. Hunt, which ranks No. 3 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest for-hire carriers in North America and the TT Top 100 logistics companies list, will use some of the trucks to support its drayage and intermodal operations in California.
DHL, which ranks No. 5 on the TT Top 50 global freight carriers list and No. 14 on the logistics TT 100, is deploying two Tre FCEVs at Diageo North America’s Plainfield, Ill., campus.
“It required a lot of research,” DHL Supply Chain Vice President for GoGreen North America Stephan Schablinski said in October. “Everything about diesel trucks is plug and play,” whereas with a hydrogen fuel cell truck, the buyer has to understand truck, the fuel, where to source it, sourcing technicians and the infrastructure.
“All the pieces make a puzzle. And if one of the pieces is missing, then it is not going to work,” he added.
Diageo wants to see the performance of the truck in extreme conditions, said Vice President of Logistics Lucy Fishwick. The trucks are Diageo’s first FCEVs. It is not just the reliability of the truck, but the reliability of the hydrogen supply, she said.
“There’s a lot of open questions,” Fishwick noted, adding that Diageo chose hydrogen FCEVs because they can run 24/7 and want to minimize downtime.
There are some challenges ahead for Nikola. The company reported a loss of $200 million in Q3 on Oct. 31, compared with $425.5 million in red ink in the same period a year earlier. The continued losses mean the company’s cash reserves are likely to last only partway through the first quarter of 2025 without successful fundraising efforts or additional partnerships.
“We estimate that our existing cash is sufficient to fund our forecast operating costs and meet our obligations into but not beyond Q1 2025,” Chief Financial Officer Tom Okray told analysts during the earnings call.
“We are examining every opportunity to optimize cash,” said Okray, adding: “We continue to seek to maintain sufficient capital to support our business.”
That may include partnerships, according to Girsky. “We are actively talking to lots of potential different partners who value what we do and value what we’ve built. It’s because we’ve been doing the hard work out front building the framework, and we have proof points. We’re on the road today with customers,” he told analysts.
Okray added: “We are looking for these like-minded partners who have stated corporatewide decarbonization goals for the next decade, hydrogen producers who view hydrogen as a viable energy growth vector, and automotive OEMs who bring either light-duty or heavy-duty fuel cells to the market. Together, we form a hydrogen economy that we believe can thrive.”
Nikola was joined at the serial production stage by Bolingbrook, Ill.-based Hyzon late in Q3. Hyzon began series production of its Class 8 hydrogen fuel cell truck Sept. 16.
Hyzon completed eight trials through the start of November. More than 20 large fleet trials are planned through February. (Hyzon)
Production initially will take place at Charlotte, N.C.-based Fontaine Modification. Hyzon intends to provide the facility with kits for the fuel cell system, battery packs and hydrogen storage systems. Fontaine adds these onto vehicle chassis. The current base chassis for Hyzon’s truck is a Freightliner Cascadia in two day cab variants.
On Nov. 4, Hyzon said drayage specialist IMC Logistics completed a two-week trial of the Class 8 truck in the Houston area, driving more than 1,000 miles in the test period. IMC ranks No. 33 on the for-hire TT 100.
Hyzon completed eight trials through the start of November. More than 20 large fleet trials are planned through February. The auto manufacturer has also encountered financial hurdles. The company raised additional funds in Q3 after shuttering its operations in the Netherlands and Australia in July.
Another recent entrant to the Class 8 market, global automaker Hyundai has 50 Xcient hydrogen fuel cell trucks in operation in North America, according to a company spokesman. Hyundai’s tractors are navigating the roads around the South Korean company’s Metaplant in Georgia and California. The trucks are currently built at the company’s Jeonju plant in South Korea.
Xcient variants are available with Allison transmissions, as too will be another heavy-duty trucking disruptor’s hydrogen FCEV.
Host Seth Clevenger and Features Coordinator Mike Senatore take you behind the scenes to unveil the 2024 Top 50 Global Freight Companies. Tune in above or by going to RoadSigns.ttnews.com.
In September, German startup Quantron debuted its QHM FCEV heavy-duty truck, which it claims has an operating range of 700 kilometers. The truck includes Ballard Power Systems’ FCmove-XD 120-kilowatt fuel cells and an integrated eGen Power 130D e-axle from Allison.
Most leading North American legacy truck makers, meanwhile, are keeping their alternative fuel options open, with plans for FCEV, natural gas and hydrogen internal combustion engine-powered trucks.
Legacy builder Peterbilt offers a hydrogen fuel cell version of its 579 Model day cab, while fellow Paccar unit Kenworth offers a FCEV option for its flagship T680 semi. Serial production of both was expected to begin in 2025, but neither Peterbilt nor Kenworth would confirm a date.
Fellow Class 8 majors Volvo Trucks North America and Daimler Truck North America have yet to announce hydrogen fuel cell truck plans for North America.
VTNA’s redesigned Class 8 flagship VNL semi, launched in January, will be the base for any future hydrogen fuel cell truck the company launches, a spokesman said, and it is targeting North American commercial deployment of FCEVs by the end of the decade.
The first Volvo Group hydrogen fuel cell trucks will be launched in Europe.
DTNA sibling Mercedes-Benz Trucks, meanwhile, plans to launch serial production of its GenH2 Truck at the end of the 2020s, but only in Europe. (TT file photo)
DTNA, parent company of Freightliner and Western Star, has no plans to deploy fuel cell electric vehicles in North America at present, a spokeswoman said.
In Europe, DTNA sibling Mercedes-Benz Trucks, meanwhile, plans to launch serial production of its GenH2 Truck at the end of the 2020s. The truck began customer trials earlier this year, including with e-commerce giant Amazon. Prototypes began testing in 2021. Amazon ranks No. 1 on the global freight TT 50 and the logistics TT 100 and No. 12 on the TT Top 100 private carriers list.
Meanwhile, Germany’s other truck making powerhouse, Traton, and its International Motors unit in North America plan to concentrate on battery-electric trucks rather than enter the hydrogen fuel cell arena, a spokeswoman confirmed in October.
The legacy players’ deliberate progress is in part because they can take a considered approach while continuing to sell diesel trucks and finance their long-held zero-emissions ambitions. But the hurdles are obvious, said Maral Idehav, Volvo Trucks director of total offer electric vehicle and services.
“First, we must have hydrogen fueling infrastructure in place for commercial operations to be able to deploy FCEVs at scale, particularly in the longhaul segment, where they are not returning to a home base daily,” Idehav said.
“Hydrogen is still too expensive today, with prices in the range of $30-$40 per kilogram, to achieve widespread adoption we must see the price of hydrogen in the range of $4 per kilogram to have a feasible operation cost,” she said.
The cost of fuel will continue to be an issue, even by 2030, according to ICCT, hampering price competitiveness.
In California, where most of the U.S. hydrogen fuel cell truck fleet is operating as a result of state incentives, FCEVs are likely to be more expensive to operate even in 2030 at $2.40 per mile, compared with $1.90 per mile for a battery-electric semi or $1.91 per mile for a diesel truck, according to ICCT forecasts. ICCT’s price assumptions are based on a hydrogen price of $9-$11 per kilogram.
As a result, ICCT’s Minjares is not optimistic about a scaling up of demand. Hydrogen FCEVs may become a niche segment, catering to jobs that battery-electric trucks find too difficult, be that in the agricultural arena or with extreme payloads, he said.
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We’ve tested a lot of electric bikes. I like some for certain reasons, others for other reasons, and some I really don’t care for much at all. I have to say that one thing I’ve found over the years is that e-bikes seem to get better and better and commonly add features that most people appreciate. The newest e-bike I’ve received and been testing is the Luckeep X2 — in particular, the commuter version of the bike. Again, there’s nothing revolutionary about it, like a rocket booster or mechanical wings or something, but it is a nice, solid e-bike that has incorporated a number of popular and useful features — and it’s now my favorite e-bike from our home collection and previously tested models.
First of all, I have to point out that the white and black version matches superbly well with our white Tesla Model 3. They make a nice little “stormtrooper” pair. Check out a few shots of the duo:
Feature Highlights
Tires
Moving on, I love the size of the tires on this bike. Not too thin and not too fat. They don’t make the bike feel too chunky, but they are a nice buffer against bumps, grass, mulch, hurricane debris, pine needles, and cracks in the sidewalk or road. They make the Luckeep X2 a good multipurpose bike that is perfect for my needs. (Technically, they are 26″x 3″ Chaoyang Commute Fat Tires.)
Shocks
Furthermore, the bike has shocks! I love having shocks, and this is the first e-bike I’ve had with them. It’s clearly made to be useful off road if you want to go off road a bit, but it’s still plenty smooth as a road bike or sidewalk bike — and the shocks provide a bit of extra fun or bump protection. In fact, yes, I did use the shocks to do a bit of hopping up and down for pure fun. (Note: if you are really into off-road biking, there’s also an off-road version.)
Technically, the details of the adjustable alloy hydraulic front suspension are as follows: “80mm hydraulic fork that filters out vibrations for a smoother ride that glides over bumps. The lockout feature ensures efficient riding on smooth roads.”
The seat is also very nice, adding extra comfort for a rider’s bum.
Lights
The bike also has cool front and rear lights, including turn signals! I did find that these don’t shine as brightly in daylight as the ones on another e-bike we have, but they are great lights to use in the evening, at night, or in the early morning if you want to make sure you are seen and people know where you’re going. In the daylight in Sunshine State Florida, let’s be honest, lights aren’t needed.
Display Screen
There’s also a slick display screen on the bike that stands out compared to other e-bike screens I’ve used. It shows you how fast you’re going, and it also shows you your average speed when the bike is parked and stationary. It’s the coolest, best looking screen I’ve seen on an e-bike.
Power & Riding Experience with Electric Boost
Okay, let’s get to the electric boost. The bike is rapid. It probably goes too fast, unless you’re a good stormtrooper running from Darth Vader. The bike has 5 levels of power assist. The first three can be useful for me, depending on how steep the hill is, how tired my muscles are from biking or tennis, and how much sleep I’ve had (often not enough). The first level is often all I really need. But there are times when I’ve found level 2 or level 3 useful.
Level 4 and level 5 are truly rapid, and I wouldn’t advise using them, but perhaps they could be just what someone needs if they’re biking off road and up a hill or mountain (which, of course, we don’t have here in Florida). Luckeep indicates that level 5 can get you up to 28 mph. That’s fast, a bit too fast for my taste. Use it wisely if you do use it.
Overall, using different levels of the power assist is useful for different conditions, people, and needs. At least in this case you have a wide variety of options.
I enjoy the straight throttle option from time to time for fun. The normal electric assist that you get while pedaling, though, is very smoothly integrating into your ride. I had an e-bike or two in the past where the electric assist would kick in too hard or too fast when stepping on the pedal. Making it a more natural progression from muscle power to mixed muscle-and-battery power makes a huge difference for how natural — and safe — the power assist is. “The high-precision torque sensor and Luckeep electronic control system provide seamless power delivery, making every ride smooth and responsive,” as Luckeep explains it. “Translate your every movement into smooth motor power.”
The Batteries
Notably, the Luckeep X2 uses top-quality Samsung batteries that are UL certified. This should assuage any fears anyone may have about the batteries. Luckeep says the bike has a max range of 80 miles on battery alone. Naturally, not many people would just ride around on an e-bike using the battery. I imagine with the amount I use the battery power, I’ll go months before needing to recharge it. And I assume that would be the norm. Of course, those who need to use it more can go ahead — there’s plenty of energy stored in the battery to get you around town for days.
Frankly, there’s nothing I can think of to complain about with the bike. I love the new Luckeep X2. Oh, wait, there is one thing. We got an upgrade version that comes with a bigger battery. That resulted in the battery being installed on the frame of the bike instead of inside it. I actually don’t have any problem with this except as far as aesthetics go (I don’t think it looks great). However, when my wife tried out the bike, she bumped her knee on the battery a couple of times. She didn’t like it. So, it’s something to consider if you’re deciding whether to get the upgraded trim or the base trim. Though, in my case, since it means my wife sticks with her e-bike and doesn’t steal the Luckeep, I’m all about it. 😀
For all the normal specs, list of features, and pricing options, you can jump over to the Luckeep webpage for the X2.
There’s a Black Friday sale coming up for Luckeep bikes. If you want an extra discount on the X2, be sure to use promo code “BFCM10.”
Overall, the Luckeep X2 commuter is pretty much a perfect all-around e-bike for me. I can’t really think of anything I’d want added or changed. The only thing is that I’d go with the cheaper base version with the smaller battery since I don’t need the extra range and would prefer the cleaner look and less weight.
This article has been sponsored by Luckeep. But all opinions are authentic and genuine.
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Source link by CleanTechnica Reviews Archives
Author Zachary Shahan
#Exploring #Luckeep #HighPerformance #Urban #EBike #Terrains
Diesel Class 8 trucks run seemingly tail-to-nose from the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles to the Inland Empire in Southern California. There, the cities of Ontario, San Bernardino, Rialto, Riverside and others have seen massive warehouses built for storing and transferring goods bound for retailers and then on to consumers. On their 100+ mile round trip, these trucks burn diesel fuel that damages the ozone, spews out noxious particulates that seek-out lungs and eyes along with oxides of nitrogen that help create smog, along with other nasty—and toxic—unpleasantness. On hot days it can be felt weighing you down, your skin is sticky, and is so thick it seems possible to touch.
Last mile trucks like Amazon’s are moving to EVs
Almost all of those trucks run on diesel, but change is coming. More and more, especially the smaller “last mile” trucks, are powered by electricity. FedEx, Amazon and others are making the switch to electric power, as are school buses and garbage trucks. Even the U.S. Post Office will be converting a sizeable portion of its fleet of electric vans.
There is no debating the need for trucks of all sizes, from the semis that roam the country’s highways to smaller box trucks, delivery vans and the common pickup. As Jimmy Hoffa, the late president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters said, “If you got it, a truck brought it to you.”
It will take time, investment and forward-thinking politicians and trucking companies, but every diesel burning truck that can be removed from the roadways will aid in cleaner air.
A Significant First Step
A step in the direction of cleaning the air in Southern California has been made by the Joint Electric Truck Scaling Initiative (JETSI). The lead project partner, NFI, a third-party supply chain provider with headquarters in New Jersey. NFI constructed an all-electric port drayage facility in Ontario, California. On what was a dirt lot a couple years ago now stand 38 DC fast chargers sourced through Electrify America. Jim O’Leary, NFI vice president of fleet services, said the “enthusiasm and commitment (of the partners) have been indispensable and together, we are revolutionizing the trucking industry and paving the way towards a cleaner, more sustainable future.”
It take a village–funders, partners, builders
Liane Randolph, chair of the California Air Resources Board, one of the project’s state funders, said: “Drayage trucks travel short distances between ports and regional warehouses, making them ideal candidates for zero-emissions technology, and this project in Ontario is an exemplary model for the future of freight transport.”
The facility is nice, but it means nothing without a fleet of battery-electric trucks plugging-in on a daily basis. Initially Daimler Truck North America’s Freightliner eCascadia and Volvo Trucks North America’s VNR Electric trucks will make-up a fleet of 50 battery-electric Class 8 trucks in the JETSI project.
Charging is a key part of the EV ecosystem
The NFI facility also has a repair and service center, fully equipped with trained staff to keep the initial 50 trucks on the road. The trucks typically run two port pickups per day, per truck, for an average of 220 miles driven before being recharged.
The potential of reducing greenhouse gases and emissions is encouraging. Just these 50 trucks and their two, 100+ mile daily round trips will approximately eliminate 4,400 metric tons (Note: 2,000 pounds is a ton, while 1,000 kilograms is a metric ton) of greenhouse gas emissions yearly, along with 2.45 tons of pollutant emission reductions and displacing more than 2.75 million gallons of diesel over the coming five-years.
For perspective, more than 22,000 trucks are registered to serve the ports of LA and Long Beach. These 50 are part of a growing number of zero emission trucks that are shrinking the diesel portion of that number. Regulations are in place to that call for all new trucks added to that registry to be zero emission (either battery or fuel cell powered).
Charging Power: 190kW with single port; 270 kW with dual ports Total Gross Weight (TGW): 65,000 pounds
Performance: 320 horsepower (HP) or 395 HP
Tandem Drive
Range: 220 miles
Charge Time: 80% in 90 minutes
Charging Power: 190kW with single port; 270 kW with dual ports TGW: 82,000 pounds
Performance: 425 horsepower (HP) or 470 HP
The Volvo VNR Electric is available in tractors with 4×2, 6×2 and 6×4 configurations.
4×2
Range: 175 miles
Charge Time: 80% in 90 minutes
Charging Power: Up to 270 kW TGW: 66,000 pounds
Performance: 455 horsepower HP
6×2 and 6×4
Range: 275 miles
Charge Time: 80% in 90 minutes
Charging Power: Up to 270 kW TGW: 82,000 pounds
Performance: 455 HP
Notes:
Both brands have regenerative braking that returns electricity to the batteries when coasting or braking.
Top speed for both is between 65 and 68 miles per hour
Additional All-electric, Class 8 Trucks
There are several other manufacturers building all-electric Class 8 semi trucks. While not part of the JETSI project, they offer the same zero emission solution to heavy hauling.
Tesla and others are joining the electric heavy-duty truck market
Air pollution is pervasive in any metropolitan area, but the corridor between the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, and Southern California’s Inland Empire is among the worst in the country. Idling diesel trucks at the ports waiting to be loaded and unloaded are matched by trucks idling at the warehouses in the Inland Empire. All that traffic has created a stubborn and dangerous air quality problem for residents of the region. Despite of emissions improvements in trucks over the past two decades, respiratory health problems, including asthma, bronchitis and cancer persist. Children and the elderly are the most susceptible, but everyone and anyone that breathes is an unwitting target of this lousy air.
Big fleets like FedEx and smaller ones are leading the shift to zero-emission freight movement
Clean air is personal as it affects people of all races, genders, and ages. Black, Latino, immigrant and low-income neighborhoods are often where these warehouse facilities are based, placing an added burden to their health.
The JETSI project may be a test, but the outcome is already known. These 50 all-electric Class 8 trucks are only the beginning of the solution to air pollution in this part of California. It is certainly not enough by any means, but the upside to replacing diesel trucks with zero emission battery or fuel cell electric trucks is too tantalizing to imagine. How much cleaner could the air be if, instead of 50 trucks, it is 500, 1,000 or 10,000. The lessons learned from this project will encourage ports and truck fleets from around the country, and the world, to ditch their dirty diesel rigs for zero emission electric trucks.
Addendum
Hundreds more trucks are headed into service
After we attended the JETSI, the good news of freight electrification in Southern California has continued. Several charging depots geared to provide the high-powered charging needed for these trucks have opened in the corridor between the ports and the Inland Empire. The number of zero emission trucks running in the area is now in the hundreds and should top 1,000 soon. The federal EPA awarded $411 million to the Port of LA to add more zero-emission equipment for its cargo handling operations. An additional 250 zero emission trucks as well as 300 chargers will be funded by the grant. This grant followed an earlier $500 million from EPA to the South Coast Air Quality Management District, which will be used to get further zero-emission trucks, delivery vehicles and locomotives into operation.
In another effort at increasing the number of zero-emission trucks serving the ports, the “green bank” Climate United, working with the charging developer Forum Mobility, has created a dedicated $250 million fund. The intent is to provide low-cost financing to smaller fleets and owner operators for purchase of up to 500 zero-emission trucks.
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Story by John Faulkner, with additional information from Michael Coates. Photos by John Faulkner and the manufacturers.
The post News: All-Electric Semi-Trucks Making a Difference first appeared on Clean Fleet Report.
Source link by Clean Fleet Report
Author John Faulkner
#News #AllElectric #SemiTrucks #Making #Difference
In a bid to clean up its streets in more ways than one, the city of Madison, Wisconsin has added two Class 8 electric trucks to its garbage fleet earlier this year in the form of a pair of Mack Electric LR HDEVs … and the city already has plans to add two more.
In 2017, the city of Madison became the 25th North American city to set a zero-net carbon goal for for city operations by 2030 and the city as-a-whole by 2050. To that end, the city has begun electrifying its heavy truck and equipment fleet with the deployment of two Mack Electric LR HDEVs – reportedly the first two Class 8 BEVs to deployed in America’s dairy land.
“One of the reasons we’re going all-in on electrification is because it’s better for the environment,” explains Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway. “These refuse trucks hit every single block in the city of Madison. That is a lot of diesel fumes in our neighborhoods. If we can take even one diesel truck off of the streets … it is a win for our community.”
The big Class 8 Mack Trucks are powered by a pair of electric motors putting 400 combined kW (about 536 hp) through a 2-speed Mack Powershift transmission that offers a barely believable 4,051 lb-ft of peak torque output. That’s over 40% more power than the first generation LR Electric released in 2019 – and this iteration can charge the 376 kWh batteries fully in under two hours at 150 kW.
The two trucks are charged overnight at the city’s truck depot, using a pair of ChargePoint-provided DCFC dispensers.
“Five years ago, Madison had no electric vehicles in its fleet,” continued Mayor Rhodes-Conway. “Today, we have more than 100 full electric vehicles, 150 hybrids, and, thanks to the Biden-Harris administration, 62 new electric buses that will serve our bus rapid transit system. Electrifying heavy-duty vehicles is on the forefront of zero-emissions technology. Madison will help demonstrate the performance of these new electric garbage trucks in real-world conditions and help quantify the long-term savings associated with eliminating fossil fuel costs and reducing maintenance expenses.”
Electrek’s Take
Municipalities all over the country are starting to understand that electric garbage trucks offer real advantages – and not just financial or environmental ones – that make life for people who live and work with and near them a whole lot better. Madison’s mayor obviously gets it, and these two Mack HDEVs will surely not be the last.
With Camp Mode, Tesla started a new era for car campers. Quiet climate control, a multimedia entertainment display, a glass roof, and a large rear flat compartment area that easily fits most 6′ adults with a mattress mean that hotels on long solo drives are now optional. It can also be a nice camping option for those who don’t want to sleep on the ground, a convenient nap spot, or a nice place to relax and (Netflix and?) chill with that special someone.
When my dad got sick during Covid, I spent a lot of time on the road driving from New York to Ohio. I’d leave at night and usually start to get tired somewhere near the middle of Pennsylvania. Instead of getting a COVID-friendly hotel room, I’d just pull into a parking spot near or adjacent to a Supercharger. At the time, I was using a Havnby roll-out mattress, which was comfortable but really didn’t have the back support of a thicker mattress. Because I only planned to sleep about 4-5 hours, the mattress worked mostly fine and saved much time and money.
Unfortunately, the rollout mattress has some downsides. For one, it leaves lots of room on the sides and below for things to fall down. Phones, glasses, and wallets were all susceptible to these gaps, especially after tossing and turning. The worst part is that the pillow would often fall down behind/between the front seats.
Also, in terms of support, the mat doesn’t have great support for hips and back and required occasional mid-sleep movement to avoid pain.
So that’s where the larger inflatable mattress comes in…
Havnby’s air mattress fits inside a bag that can be stored in the Model Y subfloor “tub” or in the frunk for emergencies and that’s where mine usually lives. I also can easily fit some sheets, a blanket and a pillow/case as well. This is nice because you never know when the sandman is going to come in the middle of a long drive.
Deploying the air mattress can be done in under 60 seconds and as you can see in the video above, can be done with one hand. Steps:
Put down the back seats (can be done from rear)
Open Tub false floor and put bag on floor.
Lay out deflated mattress with inflator on your left side
Find 12V lighter adapter and plug into lighter receptacle. Turn dial to “inflate”.
As it inflates, grab sheets and put them on
Grab pillow and blanket and it is sleep time!
The air mattress expands to the edges of the seats and rear compartment and hugs the doors and wheel wells, not only ensuring the maximum amount of car camping square footage but also making it hard for things to fall around the sides. At 4.5-inches of thickness and sloping to 7 degrees of the rear seat incline, the air mattress, when inflated, is many times more comfortable than the other mats. I’ve noticed that it stays inflated particularly well over not just one but multiple nights.
If I had one complaint, it would be the quality of the 12V adapter wire, which seems a little tiny. I haven’t had problems in months of use, but if I had to guess which part would eventually wear/break, it would be this. Of course, this would be a quick and cheap repair.
Tesla does make its own similarly-priced air mattress for the Modely Y but it is thinner, has a separate inflator and is typically out of stock.
If space and budget are flexible, you can do what I do and put a mat mattress on top of the air mattress for the most comfortable, yet still portable solution. With the glass roof and premium sound, I’m tempted to forgo my regular bed and sleep on clear nights under the stars!
The experience has been amazing. You can listen to music or watch movies in a glass-roofed, temperature-controlled environment.
Grab the Havnby Tesla Model Y mattress ($249) or many of their other Tesla accessories at the online store and get a free gift. Makes an amazing holiday present for hard to shp for Tesla Model 3/Y owners. Check out other gift ideas in Electrek’s Tesla Shop.
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Author Seth Weintraub
#Tesla #Model #Havnby #air #mattress #adds #stars #Camp #Mode
Is transitioning to more electric vehicles (EVs) good or bad for the economy overall? — Richard T., Boise, ID
According to the S&P Global Mobility Forecast, EV sales have surged so substantially over the past two decades that about 50 percent of the vehicles on the road by 2040 are projected to be electric. Individuals who can afford the initial cost of an EV substantially reduce their carbon footprint while enjoying an average of $2,200 annually in fuel and maintenance savings. On a national level, however, experts have debated whether or not the increased electric utility revenue, job creation and decreased oil dependence associated with EVs outweigh the costs of charging station installation and electrical grid upgrades.
Charging can increase local business income
Only 50 percent of the electrical capacity of the U.S grid is used, so as to accommodate large swings during peak demand. Ninety percent of current EV charging occurs at homes and places of business during off peak hours, thus, the amount used does not yet meet capacity. Two California utilities, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) and Southern California Edison (SCE), have found that EVs in their service areas contributed $806 million more in revenue than in associated costs, which drove rates down for all customers. If utility revenue remains higher than utility cost, EVs will lower the rate paid by all ratepayers. Conversely, if utilization approaches capacity, costly grid upgrades amounting to $3 billion across the U.S will be required.
The Economic Benefits Go Beyond the Car
The McKinsey Center for Future Mobility estimates that as the number of EVs increases, hardware, planning and installation costs of an expected 1.2 million public and 28 million private chargers will reach more than $35 billion. Though costly, charger installations create jobs, possibly lowering unemployment. Furthermore, a study by MIT found that charging stations boosted annual spending at nearby businesses.
When big rigs go electric, they’ll need more electricity
The largest economic benefit of transitioning to EVs is a decrease in oil reliance. The U.S relies upon oil for 85 percent of transportation needs, and depends upon foreign providers to meet this demand. Oil price fluctuation is implicated in the majority of recent recessions, including in 2022, and is directly linked to consumer sentiment. Increased reliance on a domestic and diversified electrical grid will separate the U.S. from more economically volatile nations, positively impacting the U.S. economy.
Installing public chargers and upgrading the electrical grid will undoubtedly pose a large cost to the U.S. Still, job creation, utility company revenue and less oil dependence are projected to make it all worth it. In the long run, transitioning to EVs is projected to positively impact the economy. However, these estimates are based on a model whereby the utility cost of EVs is less than the increased revenue to electric providers. Time will tell whether this model holds true.
The post Are Electric Vehicles Good or Bad for the Economy? first appeared on Clean Fleet Report.
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Author Roddy Scheer
#Electric #Vehicles #Good #Bad #Economy
