On today’s heavy episode of Quick Charge, we check out the world’s largest electric crane, analyze the crowd sourced Tesla FSD driving data for v12.5, and check out the all-new $25,000 EV from Mazda (that just went on sale).
In addition to data-backed claims that Tesla’s latest Full Self Driving software is worse than before by almost every metric, we’ve also got a first of its kind hybrid RV from Thor Industries and a special offer for Ford buyers to make living with your new electric Ford Mustang Mach-E, F-150 Lightning, or E-transit easier than ever.
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Improving EV efficiency and safety hinges on an effective Battery Management System (BMS). For automotive BMS, it’s important to note that the battery pack is not directly connected to the motor.
Instead, it interfaces through relays and fuses. Any disconnection or abnormal connection between these components can lead to unexpected increases in impedance. Since the voltage and current flowing from the battery to the motor are substantial and fluctuate frequently, increased impedance can cause system temperatures to rise and become unstable.
Download this Whitepaper to learn how Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) Testbeds can provide a pack voltage and isolation impedance simulator that allows users to easily perform the BMS testing.
Canary Media’s Electrified Life column shares real-world tales, tips, and insights to demystify what individuals can do to shift their homes and lives to clean electric power. Canary thanks EnergySage for its support of the column.
The home inspection report painted a pretty bleak picture. We were about to close on a charming 1940 colonial, but it turned out that most of the appliances that came with it needed replacement.
The water heater was not long for this world, the AC was busted, and the sump pump was shot. One bright spot was the cast-iron gas-fired boiler. Estimated by our home inspector to be about 50 years old, it had been built to last. Inefficient, yes, but it could be depended on to keep us warm. This was welcome news, since it was December and winter nights here in New York’s Hudson Valley routinely plunge into the teens.
But our reliable old gas-fired boiler did come with costs.
The steepest one was financial: Our first gas bill for the house, in the winter of 2023, was over $600. And that was before we’d even lived in our new house full time — for the most part, we had just been setting the thermostat high enough to prevent our pipes from freezing.
More disturbing was the toll our fossil-gas-burning boiler — and the millions of others like it across the U.S. — was taking on the climate. Home heating creates a significant chunk of U.S. carbon emissions, and though gas is cleaner than oil, it’s hardly a sustainable option for the planet.
We weren’t thrilled about the potential health risks either. Gas heating emits lots of nitrogen oxide, a pollutant that creates smog and is harmful to inhale. In addition, an inspection of the boiler’s chimney flue revealed that it was lined with a porous material — concrete — meaning there was a chance carbon monoxide could seep through it and into our basement. The quote for fixing that problem was about $4,000. Perfect. Just what we wanted to hear.
There was one clear path forward, for our finances, the climate, and our health: We had to get an electric heat pump, a reversible air-conditioner that can both heat and cool a home. And it’s a path that all 140 million U.S. homes will need to go down over the coming decades if we’re going to successfully quit using fossil fuels.
I’m happy to say that as of this August, we’re officially heat pump owners. But the process was not as smooth as we expected. Here are the biggest lessons I learned along the way.
Getting an energy audit is worth it
Alison F. Takemura, who usually writes this column, has detailed the many good reasons to get a home energy audit. I’ll add one more to the list: Sometimes an energy audit tells you exactly what you want to hear.
That was the case with our free, state-funded energy audit, which was conducted in March 2023. It took a few months to get the results back, but when they came in, the recommendation was crystal clear: We could save 50 percent on our annual energy bills by switching to an efficient heat pump.
A screenshot from our state-funded energy audit. The light blue column is the auditor’s recommended upgrade, and the darker blue is our estimated annual savings. (Dan McCarthy)
We already knew that getting a heat pump would benefit the planet. But the energy audit also helped give us peace of mind that the major investment we were about to make would pay off financially.
Figuring out how to tap into incentive programs can be a slog, but it pays off
My experience with New York’s low-interest loan program for electrification projects was more complicated.
We were excited to learn that New York’s Residential Financing Program offers rates as low as 3.49 percent for solar, heat pump, and energy efficiency projects. It’s a really, really good deal, and it made getting a heat pump far more affordable. A local installer offered us a nearly 10 percent interest rate.
New York’s not the only state that offers below-market loans for heat pumps. Look through the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency to find programs from your state. Check in with your town or local utility too, both of which may offer loans or rebates of their own. Oh, and don’t forget to claim the federal heat pump tax credit.
Using New York’s program meant we had to work with a contractor from a state list of pre-vetted companies — and none were available in our area.
So I called a few local installers, got quotes, and told them our situation: We were ready to buy a heat pump, but only if we could use our state loan. If they were willing to submit the paperwork necessary to get on New York’s contractor list for this program, they’d have our business. One said yes. That was in September 2023.
Revel on Thursday opened what the company claims is New York City’s first electric vehicle fast-charging site open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Located at Pier 36 in the Lower East Side section of New York’s Manhattan borough, the site features 10 320-kw DC fast-chargers from Finnish company Kempower, according to a Revel press release. The site, which brings Revel’s total number of New York City fast chargers to 64, is off FDR Drive, the main highway running along the east side of Manhattan.
Revel claims the 320-kw chargers “will offer the fastest charging experience in New York City,” but a Manhattan site opened by Gravity earlier this year west of the Revel location claims to provide charging at up to 500 kw.
Revel DC fast-charging site at New York City’s Pier 36
While the Gravity site may see more mixed use, the Revel fast-charging site at Pier 36 will likely be used primarily used by ridesharing drivers, both from Revel’s own service and Uber. Earlier this year, Revel and Uber launched a partnership that gives Uber drivers a 25% discount at Revel chargers, while Uber guarantees a minimal rate of utilization at existing and future Revel charging sites.
Revel has had a confusing trajectory, shifting from electric mopeds under its original iteration five years ago to rideshare a couple years ago and now earlier this year just charging. The company now aims to expand its New York City charging network to 300 chargers by the end of 2025, including a 60-charger site in the borough of Queens and a 48-charger site at LaGuardia Airport, also located in Queens.
Revel rideshare service
Revel claims utilization of its charging sites has increased tenfold in the last year as a result of New York City’s Green Rides initiative, which aims to make the city’s rideshare fleet fully electric by 2030. Uber also targets all-electric rides wherever it operates by that year.
The opening of Revel’s new fast-charging site follows an announcement by New York’s largest parking operator just this past month of plans to equip 5,000 parking spots with Level 2 charging. These slower chargers will likely prove more useful for residents’ private cars rather than rideshare vehicles, though.
New York City had electric taxis in the ’90s—the 1890s, that is—but with last decade’s taxi of tomorrow push shunning EVs, it’s been a surprisingly long adoption curve for one of America’s densest cities. More public fast chargers could lay the groundwork for making the fleet of yellow cabs greener.
Source link by Green Car Reports
Author news@greencarreports.com (Stephen Edelstein)
#Manhattan #fastcharging #site #vies #Uber #drivers
Alfa Romeo, one of 16 Stellantis automobile brands sold throughout the world, is making its first foray into electric propulsion with the 2024 Tonale eAWD, which in Alfa speak means plug-in hybrid (PHEV). The Tonale is also the company’s first compact utility vehicle (CUV.)
The Alfa Romeo Tonale, built in Naples, Italy, and named after one of Italy’s highest mountain passes, is the next step for the company that began in Milan, Italy, in 1910. The Tonale PHEV fits in with the heritage of designing sporty and stylish performance cars while also taking them into “a new era of electrification.”
Electric/Gasoline Propulsion
The Tonale is only available as a plug-in hybrid with all-wheel drive (AWD.) The 1.3-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine puts out 285 horsepower (hp), including 121 hp from the rear E-motor, and 347 pound-feet (lb.-ft.) of torque. The 6-speed automatic, with paddle shifters, can take the Tonale 0-60 mph in about 5.8 seconds, and up to a top speed of 125 miles per hour.
The driver-selectable drive modes—Dual Power/Dynamic, Natural, and Advanced Efficiency—each adjusts the engine and electric motor’s power output and the driving dynamics.
Efficiency, Range and Charging
The term “range anxiety” often comes up when people new to electric cars discuss their concerns (fears?) of running out of battery charge and being left stranded. With the Tonale PHEV this is never an issue as there is an estimated gasoline and electric driving range of 360 miles.
A small, but powerful engine
The EPA rates the fuel economy at 29 mpg combined city and highway in gasoline-only mode, with a 77 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe), which factors combining electricity and gasoline. MPGe is a measurement of how far a car can travel, electrically, on the same amount of energy as is contained in one gallon of gasoline.
This is only part of the story. To get the best efficiency, be as kind as possible to the environment and spend less time buying expensive gasoline, plug in often. When plugging in the 15.5 kilowatt battery to a full charge, the Tonale has an all-electric driving range of 33 miles. If you can plug in your mobile phone every night, it is just as easy to do the same with your Tonale.
The key to efficiency–plug in!
Clean Fleet Report drove the Tonale PHEV 242 miles through the Southern California counties of Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego, averaging 57 mpg. We did this by fully charging the battery three times, driving close to the posted speed limits and, while negotiating stop-and-go city traffic, maximizing the brake regeneration that replenishes the battery when slowing or braking.
The 15.5 kWh battery with the onboard 7.4 kW inverter will take eight hours with a Level 1 charger (a common house 120-volt outlet). A Level 2, 240-volt charger, found at public charge stations and commonly installed in homes, will take 2.5 hours. DC Fast charging is not compatible.
Drivetime
With the Tonale all-new and the first plug-in hybrid from Alfa Romeo, the question loomed—would it continue Alfa Romeo’s performance heritage.
A magic button
It does, beginning with a fully independent McPherson suspension with an electronically controlled dual-stage frequency selective damping suspension that uses a lower lateral link to determine wheel geometry. The frequency selective damping has two pre-set damping curves—Comfort for a softer suspension (the default suspension) and Sport, which stiffens the ride for enhanced cornering ability and better body control. Either of these two suspension modes can be selected in the three drive modes—Advanced Efficiency, Normal or Dynamic Driving.
Torque vectoring, all-wheel drive, bright red Brembo four-piston brakes, and 20-inch alloy wheels with 235/40 Michelin Pilot Sport 4 Total Performance all-season tires complete the performance pieces on the Tonale.
It has the necessary components to be a full-on sports compact utility vehicle (CUV), but is it? A good place to start is—pull back the twin steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters, select the Dual Power/Dynamic mode to deliver the best performance with sharpened throttle and steering responses and maximum power from the electric motor and gasoline engine. You will feel the 347 lb.-ft. of torque (with 184 lb.-ft. coming from the electric motor).
Whether you will be using the Tonale PHEV for in-town errands, short commutes or on the open road, there are efficiency options to enhance the experience, which begins with using the driver-selectable drive modes.
Normal is the default mode to maximize efficiency and driving range. Note: We used the Dynamic mode (see below) for in-town driving and then Natural when on the open road.
EV-Save reserves the battery charge to be used at a later time. This mode also charges the battery when driving.
Advanced Efficiency is the all-electric mode providing 33 miles of driving with zero emissions.
Dynamic Driving mode delivers the best performance, with maximum engine and electric motor power while also sharpening the throttle and steering responsesand transmission shift points. Dynamic Driving mode delivered 0-60 mph times of 5.6 seconds for the 4,133-pound Tonale.
Strong and consistent
So, is the Tonale PHEV is a sports CUV? The handling was solid with a lowered stance and near 50:50 weight balance, the ride was generally smooth, and the brakes strong and consistent. The AWD torque vectoring acts as an electronic limited slip differential, and the braking system which had a proper pedal feel, resulted in good control even when pushed above the posted speed limit on corners.
Overall, it is a fun CUV offering spirited driving, handling and sure braking. It will probably be used as a hauler for up to four adults, or for chauffeuring the kids in their car seats, but will always be nice to know it can be taken to the mountains to do some carving.
Italian Design
Alfa Romeo has a design that stays consistent with the brand’s Italian style and says the Tonale is: “Intended for a young, metropolitan and dynamic customer.”
Sleek and sexy
The Tonale has a pointed, beak-like front end with the distinctive V Scudetto grille, a 3+3 Tribolo LED headlight design provides bright lighting, dynamic turn signals and a “welcome and goodbye” feature. The LED three tail light design continues with a strip that runs the full width of the keyless handsfree power lift gate.
The exterior is sleek and, being truly Italian, it is also sexy! The diamond-cut five-hole wheels are unique to the industry and looks sharp.
Color choices bring a bit of the Italian language to the States with Milano White, Alfa Black, Alfa Rosso, plus metallic colors of Grigio (Gray) Ascari, Misano Blue, and Verde (Green) Fangio which was the eye-catching paint on our test Tonale (and has a $2,200 premium).
Interior
The fully digital 12.3-inch instrument panel has integrated turn-by-turn navigation and a large 160-mph speedometer. Additional information includes a G-Meter, tachometer, sport mode gauges and the eDrive modes of Hybrid, EV Save, and EV Only. The cockpit layout has some unique placements with the Start/Stop button on the steering wheel and the suspension adjustment wheel down low by the driver’s right knee.
Monster shifters
The most curious item is the size of the giant paddle shifters, which are shared with the Maserati Grecale Modena Hybrid. They’re so large and so close to the steering wheel the audio adjustment buttons were difficult to use, therefore defeating their convenient location. Almost every time I went to change a pre-set channel or adjust the volume I inevitably pulled on one of the paddles, causing the Tonale to either up or down shift.
The 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen is home to the Harman Kardon 12-speaker sound system with UConnect 5 that includes AM/FM HD radio, wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM, Amazon Alexa integration and navigation. The screen also displays climate controls, and is the media hub for Bluetooth, streaming audio, vehicle settings and other controls. The Tonale has wireless phone charging and a universal garage door opener.
Our Tonale came with the Customer Preferred Package ($2,500) that included perforated leather ventilated seats and the above-mentioned Harmon Kardon sound system. Standard on the Tonale Veloce trim were aluminum door sills, a flat-bottom, heated leather-covered steering wheel with controls for the radio and cruise control, and heated 8-way power adjustable front seats with lumbar and memory.
The rear seat folds 40:20:40, with a ski pass-thru door; when the seat’s down, it provides 50.5-inches of cargo space. The rear seat is a bit tight for larger adults but otherwise comfortable. The fold down center armrest has cup holders that join the rear ventilation vents and power ports in the center console.
The home for tunes and connectivity
Interior Convenience Features
Interior features, standard or with a package, include a power moonroof, remote start, a 360º rear view camera, compass, dual zone automatic climate control with an air filtration system, tilt and telescoping steering column, height adjustable front seatbelts, 12-volt power outlets in the front and second row seating and cargo areas, and USB A and C data and power ports (front and rear), and rear cargo area LED lights.
Safety and Convenience
The 2024 Tonale was equipped with Active Driving Assist, a Level 2 hands-free system. After setting the adaptive cruise control, hands can be released from the steering wheel for 10 seconds. Additional safety features include seven airbags, drowsy driver detection, traffic sign recognition, a rear backup camera with rear park assist, forward-facing off-road camera, full speed forward collision warning, blind spot and cross path detection, electronic stability control and roll mitigation, four-wheel ABS, a tire pressure monitoring system, and hill start assist. Two safety features that were not available were a head-up display and auto hold.
Pricing
Storage expands with the rear seat down
The 2024 Tonale comes in four models with several available options and packages. Including the mandatory $1,595 destination fee, these are the base prices.
Sprint $45,440
Speciale $51,095
Ti $48,095
Veloce $52,635
Warranties
Hybrid System – Eight years/100,000 miles
High Voltage Battery – Eight years/100,000 miles
Powertrain – Four years/50,000 miles
Basic – Four years/50,000 miles
Roadside Assistance – Four years/Unlimited miles
Observations: 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale Veloce eAWD
The Tonale is the sister car to the Dodge Hornet, both coming off the assembly line at Pomigliano, Italy. The Tonale and Hornet differ in appearance with the former having more Italian flair, which is expected, while the Dodge Hornet offers more performance and driving attributes.
A sporty, stylish path away from gasoline
The efficiency and driving range is why you would buy a plug-in hybrid. The key to maximizing the cost savings of a PHEV is to plug in every night or, if possible, when at a destination during the day. Doing so will lessen the time spent buying expensive gasoline. If you did plug-in every night, you can do the math on how much money you would not be spending on gasoline for your everyday local in-town or commuting driving.
The 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale is great looking, and when in the Dual Power/Dynamic drive mode and the suspension set to Sport, you can feel the Alfa Romeo racing heritage. However, I never got that excited about the overall feel, even though there was never a time that losing grip on mountain curves was a worry, or it wasn’t comfortable and compliant at freeway speeds.
This is why it is important you take the time to visit an Alfa Romeo dealer, take it for a lengthy test drive under different driving conditions, and see if it is right for you and your driving lifestyle. If so, you will have a comfortable, efficient road car with good handling that will be fun to drive while showing off Italian style and flair.
Make sure to opt-in to the Clean Fleet Report newsletter (top right of page) to be notified of all new stories and vehicle reviews.
Story and photos by John Faulkner.
[See image gallery at cleanfleetreport.com]
Disclosure:
Clean Fleet Report is loaned free test vehicles from automakers to evaluate, typically for a week at a time. Our road tests are based on this one-week drive of a new vehicle. Because of this we don’t address issues such as long-term reliability or total cost of ownership. In addition, we are often invited to manufacturer events highlighting new vehicles or technology. As part of these events we may be offered free transportation, lodging or meals. We do our best to present our unvarnished evaluations of vehicles and news irrespective of these inducements.
Our focus is on vehicles that offer the best fuel economy in their class, which leads us to emphasize electric cars, plug-in hybrids, hybrids and diesels. We also feature those efficient gas-powered vehicles that are among the top mpg vehicles in their class. In addition, we aim to offer reviews and news on advanced technology and the alternative fuel vehicle market. We welcome any feedback from vehicle owners and are dedicated to providing a forum for alternative viewpoints. Please let us know your views at publisher@cleanfleetreport.com.
The post Road Test: 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale Veloce eAWD first appeared on Clean Fleet Report.
Source link by Clean Fleet Report
Author John Faulkner
#Road #Test #Alfa #Romeo #Tonale #Veloce #eAWD
Some Cybertrucks can finally use Tesla’s Supervised Full Self-Driving software, almost exactly ten months after the vehicle was first released.
After many delays and much anticipation, the first Tesla Cybertruck deliveries occurred on November 30, 2023.
However, one feature was missing from those cars – Tesla’s much-ballyhooed Full Self-Driving (FSD) software.
Previous vehicles released by Tesla, like the Model 3 and Model Y, have had access to modern versions of Tesla’s Autopilot or FSD software immediately upon release. However, those vehicles have relatively similar sizes, sensor suites and control mechanisms as other Tesla vehicles, meaning there aren’t a lot of changes needed to the software to make them work.
The Cybertruck, however, is quite different than any other vehicle Tesla has made – or any other vehicle on the road, for that matter.
So, when the Cybertruck first came out, it was notably missing access to this major feature. Tesla was happy to sell FSD access to owners, but it came with an asterisk that the driver-assist system could not be activated until further notice from Tesla.
Well, now that time is here, and Cybertrucks finally have access to the software they’ve been waiting for. Well, some of them do, anyway.
According to a post on cybertruckownersclub forum, some users have started getting access to FSD (Supervised) as of today, with the 2024.32.20 update.
This update is labeled as “early access,” which means that only a subset of owners who have been invited into the early access program will have access to it for the time being. We’re not sure when a wider release of the software will happen for other Cybertruck owners, but it should be some time in the next several weeks.
It’s also labeled as FSD 12.5.5, which is the newest version of FSD available. Currently, most Tesla cars are on FSD 12.5.4 – so these early-access Cybertrucks aren’t stuck on an old version, but instead are getting the latest and greatest (or, well, “greatest“).
The first videos of Cybertrucks with FSD are starting to leak out, with this forum post seeming to be the absolute first on the internet, so far.
There are sure to be many more hitting the internet in the coming hours showing how the truck does with its new software.
While full FSD capability is new, Cybertrucks did get access to autopark earlier this month.
At the beginning of this month, Tesla had promised that Cybertruck would get full FSD by the end of September – so, shipping it now, to certain early access owners, just slightly more than one full day before the month is over technically fits that timeline. However, most owners will have to wait a little longer than the promised timeline.
In that same announcement, Tesla said that FSD would gain more capabilities and that version 13 will be released next month, which should increase the number of miles necessary between interventions. Last week, an independent analysis concluded that FSD can only go 13 miles between interventions on average, so there’s plenty of improvement to be had in that respect.
Tesla also said that FSD will be available in China and in Europe in the first quarter of next year, though those are both dependent on regulatory approval, which could take longer.
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Source link by Electrek
Author Jameson Dow
#Tesla #finally #enabled #FSD #Cybertrucks
The new HS18 E MAX (called “HS5390” E MAX in the US, because we don’t know what meters are) rough terrain electric scissor lift from Haulotte can drive around your job site at full height, and with a full load.
Last week, Haulotte added the new HS5390 E MAX to its line of electric rough-terrain scissor lifts, completing the company’s existing HSE (HS electric) range of scissor lifts. The HS18, though, is unique – and not just because of its 18 meter fully extended height. The HS18 E MAX can be driven both fully extended, and fully loaded.
Two configurations of its material handling racks are available for the HSE scissors. The racks are built to suit the materials being transported, generally expected to be “panels” (think drywall, windows, etc.) or pipes.
Haulotte material handling rack
With a load capacity of 400 kg (over 880 lbs.), Haulotte says its new HS5390 E MAX is ideal for jobs that require the transport of heavy loads across unfinished surfaces, using a series of optional attachments to offer a productive and safe solution to keeps materials organized and off the ground, minimizes the risk of trip and fall accidents.
Haulotte says its PULSEO-powered scissor lifts (“PULSEO” is Haulotte’s electric drive brand name) revolutionize the aerial industry by offering the performance of an internal combustion diesel machine in a more environmentally friendly package that can be used across the job site and in indoor or urban settings where loud, polluting diesels aren’t an option.
Electrek’s Take
HS5390 E PRO; via Haulotte.
This is a great example of a second-generation product doubling down on electrification and delivering significant improvements on its products without focusing on things like increased runtime (that’s the equivalent of “range anxiety” in the automotive world).
By stepping back and saying, “these things are already getting the job done time-wise, how can we make them do more in the time they already have?” Companies like Haulotte and JCB have made it infinitely easier for construction crews to put the HSE scissor lifts to work.
It’s an exciting week for grid resiliency-lovers in California, as Governor Gavin Newsom followed up his earlier smart grid law and signed another law this week which may require bidirectional charging on EVs in the future – though the law has no hard timeline attached, so it may be a while before we see this happen.
Bidirectional charging refers to the capability of electric vehicles to not just take electricity from the grid to charge, but to output electricity in various forms, whether this be vehicle-to-load (plugging in devices, like the 1.8kW capability on the Kia Niro EV), vehicle-to-home (like Ford’s “Intelligent Backup Power” system), or vehicle-to-grid (like the Nissan Leaf is capable of).
While these applications may seem like a party trick, widespread use of bidirectional charging could lead to huge benefits for efficiency, grid resiliency, and enable much greater penetration of renewable electricity generation.
Most electric grids don’t really have trouble meeting the regular everyday needs of electricity consumers, it’s when big spikes happen that things get difficult. Either on a hot day when everyone is using air conditioning, or a day when electricity generation is curtailed for some reason or another, that’s when things get difficult.
And as climate change makes temperatures hotter, California’s grid is often overtaxed on the hottest summer days, which are becoming more numerous. Even worse, methane-burning fossil gas peaker plants are the highest-polluting form of electricity California consumes, and these are currently used at peak times in order to deal with high demand.
One solution to this problem is adding energy storage to the grid which can be dispatched when needed, and which can fill up when the grid is oversupplying electricity. This helps to balance out supply and demand of electricity and make everything a little more predictable.
This is why there has been a push for grid-based storage like Tesla megapacks, which represent a large source of rapidly-dispatchable energy storage.
But there’s another source of grid-connected batteries out there which was right under our nose the whole time: electric cars.
EVs, which are mostly connected to the internet anyway, could be used as a distributed energy storage device, and even called upon to help provide electricity when the grid needs it. We already see this happening with Virtual Power Plants based on stationary storage, but if cars had V2G, theoretically cars could contribute in a similar way – both saving the grid, and perhaps making their owners some money along the way via arbitrage (buying electricity when its cheap and selling it when its expensive).
The problem is, not many automakers have included V2G capabilities in their cars, and in the cars that do have it, not many manufacturers have made V2G-capable equipment, and the ones who have built it haven’t seen that many customers who are interested in spending the extra money to upgrade their electrical systems with V2G-capable equipment.
So there needs to be something to jumpstart all of that, and California thinks it might just have the thing.
New CA law might require bidirectional charging… eventually.
The idea started in 2023 when state Senator Nancy Skinner introduced a bill which would require EVs to have bidirectional charging by 2027.
As this bill made its way through the legislative process, it got watered down from that ambitious timeline. So the current form of the bill, which is now called SB 59, took away that timeline and instead gave the California Energy Commission (CEC) the go-ahead to issue a requirement whenever they see it fit.
The bill directs the CEC, the California Air Resources Board, and the California Public Utilities Commission to examine the use cases of bidirectional charging and give them the power to require specific weight classes of EVs to be bidirectional-capable if a compelling use case exists.
The state already estimates that integrating EVs into the grid could save $1 billion in costs annually, so there’s definitely a use case there, but the question is the cost and immediacy of building those vehicles into the grid.
The reason this can’t be done immediately is that cars take time to design, and while adding bidirectional charging to an EV isn’t the most difficult process, it also only really becomes useful with a whole ecosystem of services around the vehicle.
A recent chat Electrek had with DCBEL, making bidirectional chargers simpler for consumers
Even Tesla, which for years has touted itself a tech/energy company and sold powerwalls, inverters, solar panels and so on, is still only gradually trickling its bidirectional Powershare feature out onto its vehicles.
And that ecosystem has been a bit of a hard sell so far. It’s all well and good to tell someone they can make $500/year by selling energy to the grid, but then you have to convince them to buy a more expensive charging unit and keep their car plugged in all the time, with someone else managing its energy storage. Some consumers might push back against that, so part of CEC’s job is to wait to pull the trigger until it becomes apparent that people are actually interested in the end-user use case for V2G – otherwise, no sense in requiring a feature that nobody is going to use.
Electrek’s Take
Given all of these influences, we wouldn’t expect CA to require bidirectional charging any time soon. But it still gives the state a powerful trigger to pull if other efforts, like the recently-signed smart grid law, turn out not to be enough as California works to, grow, clean up, and make its grid more affordable all at the same time.
But having the force of law behind it could turn V2G into less of a parlor trick and more into something that actually makes a difference the way us EV nerds have been dreaming of for decades now (true story: Electrek once turned down Margot Robbie for an interview and instead talked to some engineers about V2G for an hour).
So, telling manufacturers that California may start mandating bidirectional charging soon means that those manufacturers will perhaps start taking V2G more seriously, particularly given the size and influence of CA’s car market. Even if the CEC doesn’t make it a requirement, the threat of it eventually becoming one means that EV-makers will probably start getting ready for it regardless.
There’s no real point to a single person discharging their car into the grid, but when millions of cars are involved, you could work to flatten out the famous “duck curve,” which describes the imbalance between electricity supply and demand. We hear a lot about “intermittency” as the problem with wind and solar, and grid storage as the solution to that, so being able to immediately switch on gigawatt-hours worth of installed storage capacity would certainly help to solve that problem. And we hope this law helps us get just a little closer to that potential future.
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Source link by Electrek
Author Jameson Dow
#Bidirectional #charging #required #EVs #due #law
Japanese equipment giant Komatsu dropped its new, 320-ton Power Agnostic 930E mining truck at MinsExpo trade show in Las Vegas, calling it a future-ready solution that can run on diesel, hydrogen, or pure electric power.
Komatsu continues to develop alternative engine technology with the release of its first commercial rigid-frame dump truck with a “power agnostic” platform for running on diesel, hydrogen, or even battery electric power.
That’s because the platform is designed around the concept of a modular powertrain. The design not only gives the Komatsu assembly line an easy way to build diesel, BEV, and hydrogen fuel cell rigid haulers on the same line, but also enables customers to upgrade from diesel to battery electric or hydrogen down the road, if and when whatever logistical obstacles that are preventing them from running an electric or hydrogen solution today are overcome.
“This platform enables mining companies to start with conventional diesel engines and gradually transition to cleaner energy sources as needed, including utilization of trolley assist for diesel or as one of the future dynamic charging solutions for battery trucks to reduce fuel consumption and emissions,” reads Komatsu’s press material. “Whether adopting battery technology, hydrogen fuel cell technology or a combination of energy systems, the Power Agnostic 930E provides the infrastructure and adaptability necessary to meet evolving sustainability goals.”
Potential customers got a sneak peek at the concept truck, which they were apparently allowed to test at Komatsu’s Arizona proving grounds ahead of MineExpo (I wasn’t invited). The first pre-production Power Agnostic 930E prototype will make its way to Sweden in the coming months, where it will be put to work alongside other electric Komatsu machines in Boliden’s Aitik copper mine, one of the largest such operations on the European continent.
Converting gas and diesel-fueled cars to electric at scale is a concept that’s fraught with problems. Far too many to list here, in fact. But heavy equipment?
Everything from excavators to loaders to heavy trucks are already built to be powertrain agnostic, and manufacturers will often offer the same basic vehicle with Cummins, Detroit Diesel, or Volvo Pentapower, so there’s a degree of openness baked into those systems already. Komatsu is just taking that to the next level by adding a modularity of energy storage (fuel tanks, hydrogen cells, or battery packs) to the mix. And, if the project is successful, it could be the first of many.
2025 Blazer EV gets up to 334 miles of EPA-rated range, according to Chevy
Power has been boosted by up to 25 hp versus 2024 Blazer EV models
Base front-wheel-drive $45,995 Blazer EV LT will be available for order “soon”
Chevrolet on Friday confirmed a boost to both EPA range ratings and power output for its rear- and all-wheel-drive 2025 Blazer EV lineup. It also released pricing and a little more information about the base front-wheel-drive model.
Rear-wheel-drive 2025 Chevrolet Blazer RS versions are arriving with an EPA range rating of 334 miles for 2025, up from 324 miles in the 2024 Blazer EV, while LT AWD versions achieve 283 miles, up from 279 miles. Horsepower and torque figures are also up—to 300 hp and 355 lb-ft for the LT AWD, and to 365 hp and 325 lb-ft for the RS RWD. By power, that’s up 12 and 25 hp for the two, respectively; and by torque, that’s up 22 lb-ft for the LT AWD.
Both of those models remain available to order now, Chevy says. It also added a base price for its first front-wheel-drive version of the lineup, the LT, at $45,995, including the mandatory $1,395 destination fee. That version will be available for order “soon,” according to the brand. And all versions of the Blazer EV are expected to retain their $7,500 EV tax credit eligibility but this hasn’t yet been verified by the federal government.
Range-leading RS RWD and top-performance SS AWD models will get a larger 102-kwh battery pack while the rest of the Blazer EVs get an 85-kwh pack. SS models step up to 595 hp and 645 lb-ft in their Wide Open Watts performance mode, plus a retuned suspension, and 0-60 mph times under four seconds, and while Chevy hasn’t further detailed that model it confirmed a lower price for the 2025 Blazer SS of $61,995—$4,000 lower than when initially confirmed.
2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV RS
Chevrolet had already lowered the base price on existing AWD LT and RS versions by up to $1,200 as they were renewed for the 2025 model year earlier this past summer. For 2025, the Blazer EV LT AWD costs $48,995, while the Blazer RS AWD costs $54,295 and the RS RWD is at $56,990, each with some content that had been standard for the 2024 models made optional—effectively raising prices slightly but allowing more flexibility if you don’t want those features.
The LT AWD’s Comfort and Convenience package and the RS AWD’s Convenience and Driver package are now optional—and so is a charge cord. That package includes wireless phone charging, a power tailgate, power front heated seats, heated steering wheel, and more, and is indicated as costing $2,295. The RS Convenience and Driver Package combines a head-up display, a surround-view camera system, and heated wipers. The package adds an indicated $2,620 but GM doesn’t appear to allow deleting it for 2025.
2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV
Nevertheless, the entry price cuts are a pleasant surprise for EV affordability, as shoppers—in recent surveys and in actual demand—have indicated they want more low-price EV choices. GM in March cut 2024 Chevy Blazer EV prices by thousands, as it resumed sales and deliveries of the electric SUV after a range of interface glitches, including charging issues, led to a Blazer EV sales pause in December.
GM noted that models delivered after that production pause had been given “significant software updates,” including updates to ambient lighting and gauge-cluster graphics for battery percentage. In a test drive of the Blazer EV last month, Green Car Reports found no software gremlins and was impressed by this model’s efficiency and range.
2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV SS
Meanwhile, the 2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV is one of the most important vehicles of the year for value and pricing, because it starts with a base version starting at $34,995 and due to deliver 319 miles of range.
Source link by Green Car Reports
Author news@greencarreports.com (Bengt Halvorson)
#Chevy #Blazer #range #power #boost #price
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