Category: Electric Vehicles

The Sion is a compact car wrapped entirely in solar panels. Its maker claims solar power alone is enough to meet most daily driving needs.

By Sissi Cao 

A compact, affordable electric car powered in part by solar energy is about to hit the assembly line, marking the maturity of a clean energy approach previously thought to be infeasible for automobiles. A final design of the vehicle, called the Sion, made by German EV startup Sono Motors, was unveiled today (July 25) at a company event in Munich. Production and delivery are expected to start in the second half of next year in Europe, with the U.S. and other international markets to follow.

The idea of powering a passenger car with solar isn’t new. But unsuccessful attempts, including a prototype built by the General Motors in the 1950s, had earlier engineers convinced that solar isn’t a suitable energy source for everyday driving needs, due to limitations in energy storage, conversion and (obviously) weather.

Sono proposes to solve this challenge with a hybrid approach. On one hand, to maximize energy output, the Sion is wrapped entirely in solar panels (except for windows). The car’s exterior is covered with more than 450 “solar half-cells” that, in normal weather, can provide up to 70 miles of driving range per week, according to a press release.

Continue reading… “The World’s First Solar-Powered Mass Market Electric Car Is Almost Here”

Amazon plans to roll out its Rivian custom electric delivery vehicles in more than 100 cities by the end of this year.

By Becky Schultz

Amazon is partnering with Rivian to roll out thousands of custom electric delivery vehicles to more than 100 cities by the end of 2022, and 100,000 across the U.S. by 2030, the company stated. The electric vehicles – which Rivian asserts to be the first long-range electric commercial step-in vans – are already hitting the road in Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, Nashville, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle and St. Louis, among others.

The vehicles are a product of a partnership announced in 2019 when Amazon co-founded and became the first signatory of The Climate Pledge, committing to reach net-zero carbon across the company’s operations by 2040. As part of the pledge, Amazon is developing a more sustainable delivery fleet, the company noted, including working with Rivian to decarbonize its last-mile logistics.

Continue reading… “Amazon rolls out Rivian electric delivery vehicles”

By Lynn Walford

Through advanced technology, recreational vehicle and trailer companies are making their vehicles and customer experiences more sustainable. Winnebago, Thor Industries and Living Vehicle are working on electrifying the recreational vehicle (RV) space.

Advanced technologies include an electric RV, hydrogen extended-range electric RV, self-powered trailer and solar-powered trailers that extract water from the air.

Creative EVs for Hospitals, Schools and Road Trips

Winnebago is famous for making mobile outdoor lifestyle motorhomes and trailers. The company is adding advanced technologies to its RVs.

“We are really focused on advanced technologies which are coming in the next five, seven to ten years,” says Ashis Bhattacharya, Winnebago Industries senior vice president, Business Development and Advanced Technology.

Bhattacharya notes that making an electric RV is not as easy as making an electric car.

He says an electric RV requires energy management that includes many internal systems that generate, store and consume electricity. The systems include battery-systems, inverters, lithium batteries, car batteries and appliances. Appliances in an RV that need electricity are air conditioners, water heaters, induction cooktops, infotainment systems and plumbing systems.

Data and connectivity for smart products are part of the technology development process. Materials, weight, insulations and structural strength are important. The less weight on the vehicle, the more weight is available for the owner, the driver, their family and everything, says Bhattacharya.

Continue reading… “The Future of Electric, Sustainable, Off-Grid and Autonomous Recreational Vehicles”

The chargers will be built at Pilot and Flying J truck stops

By Andrew J. Hawkins

General Motors announced a “coast-to-coast” network of fast electric vehicle chargers installed at Pilot and Flying J truck stops and managed by EV charging company EVgo. The announcement is the latest sign that legacy automakers will need to spend their own money to shore up the US’ fractured EV charging infrastructure in order to build customer demand for new plug-in vehicles. 

GM and Pilot Company say the new network will include 2,000 DC fast chargers installed at up to 500 truck stops and travel centers, capable of offering speeds of up to 350kW. The charging stalls will be built along US highways with the expressed purpose of meeting the needs of long-haul trucking and road-trippers. 

The chargers will be in addition to the 3,250 chargers that GM is currently installing with EVgo, which the automaker has said will be completed by the end of 2025. The automaker has said it would spend $750 million in total on EV charging infrastructure. GM AND PILOT COMPANY SAY THE NEW NETWORK WILL INCLUDE 2,000 DC FAST CHARGERS INSTALLED AT UP TO 500 TRUCK STOPS AND TRAVEL CENTERS

Continue reading… “GM announces plans to build ‘coast-to-coast’ network of 2,000 EV chargers at truck stops”

Walmart Inc has signed a deal with electric vehicle maker Canoo Inc to purchase delivery vehicles as part of the U.S. retailer’s goal to achieve zero emissions by 2040.

Walmart will buy 4,500 EVs from Canoo with the option to purchase up to 10,000 units to boost its online business, the companies said in a statement on Tuesday.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

In June, Walmart said it was expanding transportation pilots with the manufacturers of electric, hydrogen and natural gas-powered vehicles, including Cummins Inc and Daimler Truck’s Freightliner.

The retailer in January said it had reserved 5,000 electric delivery vans with General Motors’ commercial EV business BrightDrop.

A large number of companies have been pushing into the growing commercial EV space as governments around the world are pressing companies to slash CO2 emissions.

Companies including FedEx Corp, Amazon.com Inc and United Parcel Service Inc have pledged to shift their large delivery fleets to EVs.

Continue reading… “Walmart to expand its delivery fleet with EVs from Canoo – ET Auto”

The world’s fastest electric ship, the Candela P-12 Shuttle, is set to hit Stockholm’s waters next year, heralding a new era of transport. The innovative hydrofoiling electric ferry will reduce emissions and slash commuting times – and the city believes it will make waterborne public transport more attractive than trains, buses, and cars.

The marine technology company Candela released the first pictures of what will be the world’s fastest, longest-range and most energy efficient electric ship ever. The Candela P-12 Shuttle, as the innovative vessel is called, will be shuttling citizens between the sprawling Stockholm suburb of Ekerö and the city center in the coming year. Flying across the water, the 30-passenger electric vessel has a speed of 30 knots – considerably faster than any other electric ship in the world. It also provides faster commuting than the subway and bus lines it competes with, as well as being infinitely more energy efficient than the diesel vessels currently servicing the same route. Perhaps most signficant, the ship is faster than travelling by car during rush hour.

The secret to its high speed and long range are the three carbon fiber wings that extend from under the hull. These active hydrofoils allow the ship to lift itself above the water, thus decreasing drag.

Continue reading… “First electric flying ferry will make Stockholm’s waterborne public transport faster than cars and subway”

Until recently, most experts would have argued that battery-electric ships weren’t feasible for traveling across oceans.

BY ADELE PETERS

Designing an electric cargo ship isn’t as easy as making an electric car—and until recently, most experts would have argued that battery-electric ships weren’t feasible for traveling across oceans. A giant cargo ship might theoretically need a battery that weighs 1.6 billion pounds, more than the ship could carry. But one startup plans to soon begin crossing the Pacific with smaller electric ships that swap batteries at ports along the way, in a system that it says could prove cheaper than shipping with fossil fuels.

“We started with the problem of decarbonizing ocean freight, and finding a way to make it not cost more,” says Steven Henderson, cofounder and CEO of the startup, called Fleetzero, part of the most recent cohort at the tech accelerator Y Combinator. Henderson and cofounder Michael Carter both worked in the shipping industry and saw that there was a major challenge with the industry’s goals to cut emissions: The existing alternatives were far more expensive than the status quo. Ammonia or green hydrogen power, for example, could cost as much as four times more than the heavy fuel oil that ships use today. Engines also had to be redesigned to burn alternative liquid fuels, adding to the cost. “We realized that this isn’t good for the industry if this is our future, and not good for the world if rates go up,” says Carter. The company’s new approach means that customers will see no change to their freight costs.

Continue reading… “This startup designed an electric cargo ship to cross the ocean”

 Luke Wake, UPS vice president of fleet maintenance and engineering, shows off “eQuad” electric bikes

UPS was trying out a four-wheeled “eQuad” electric cargo bike for deliveries in densely packed urban areas, where bikes have better and easier access, to complement its push into electric vehicles.

UPS said on Friday it was trying out a four-wheeled “eQuad” electric cargo bike for deliveries in densely packed urban areas, where bikes have better and easier access, to complement its push into electric vehicles.

The package-delivery giant is trialing around 100 of the electric bikes, designed and built by British firm Fernhay, in seven European markets and will also launch trials in the United States and some Asian markets, Luke Wake, UPS vice president of fleet maintenance and engineering, told Reuters.

UPS said it would also use four-wheeled electric bikes from other manufacturers for the trials, but did not disclose names.

Continue reading… “UPS Tries Out ‘eQuad’ Electric Bikes For Urban Deliveries”

In a factsheet, T&E examines the progress to reaching zero emissions in the freight sector and shows how EU truck CO2 standards can make or break the transition.

There is increasing consensus among European truck manufacturers and industry stakeholders that battery electric trucks will play a dominant role in the decarbonisation of the road freight sector, including for long-haul. With trucks being heavily used capital goods, the advantage of battery electric vehicles in terms of lower fuel and maintenance costs grows with increasing mileage, making them particularly competitive for long-haul transport.

Ambitious CO2 standards in the upcoming revision can create the necessary market certainty to enable truckmakers to scale up their production of zero-emission trucks and for logistics companies to transition their fleets to zero emission. To find out more, download the factsheet.

Continue reading… “Why The Future Of Long-Haul Trucking Is Battery Electric”

By Peter McGuthriey.

The auto industry’s burgeoning transition to electric vehicles poses new challenges to auto service centers, as higher hybrid and EV adoption rates require companies to understand and manage new hardware.

One such service company is Bridgestone Americas, which owns roughly 2,200 tire and vehicle service centers across the U.S, as detailed in a report last month from Forbes.

As electric motors and battery cell-operated motors become more common, Bridgestone’s service and tire centers require new equipment and updated training for technicians.

While current EV sales volume is still fairly low for the U.S. auto market, Bridgestone Retail Operations President Marko Ibrahim says the company is already making moves to be ready for the expected transition to electric and hybrid models in the years ahead.

“We don’t wait until demand is set, because then we’re behind,” Ibrahim said. “We try to anticipate where the puck is going, and we try to get there first.”

The U.S. auto market only had 24 different EVs available in 2020, that number is expected to increase to 153 by 2025, according to General Motors (GM) Chief Economist Elaine Buckberg in a recent web conference hosted by the Society of Automotive Analysts.

Continue reading… “Auto Service Companies Are Preparing For The Electric Vehicle Revolution”

Import data shows e-bikes outpacing electric cars in 2021.

By Ira Boudway

The U.S. electric bike market continues to boom according to the latest figures from the Light Electric Vehicle Association. The U.S. imported nearly 790,000 electric two-wheelers in 2021 according to LEVA’s estimate, up from 463,000 in 2020. While not a sales figure, LEVA’s tally is a useful proxy for the state of the U.S. e-bike market. The trade group’s research suggests that e-bikes are the best-selling EVs in the country. Americans bought 652,000 electric cars in 2021, including plug-in hybrids, according to data from BloombergNEF:

Continue reading… “America’s Best-Selling Electric Vehicles Ride on Two Wheels”