Utility holding company Xcel Energy, which serves customers in Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, the Dakotas, Texas and Wisconsin, is hoping to have 1.5 million EVs in its service areas by 2030. This would represent 20% of all vehicles on the road, or about 30 times the number today. Xcel estimates that deploying 1.5 million… Read more »
Author: Charles Morris
Drive Energi to deploy fast charging points at Greene King pubs
UK charging network operator Drive Energi has sparked a deal with Greene King, a chain of 2,700 pubs, restaurants and hotels across the UK, to roll out DC rapid chargers. The first locations are to go live in the North West region before the end of 2020. A wider roll-out will take place in phases… Read more »
Michigan awards $1.7 million in grants for DC fast chargers
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) has awarded $1.7 million in grants for DC fast chargers along well-traveled routes around the state. The EGLE Charge Up Michigan Program grants will partially fund 36 EV DC fast charging stations with a total of 76 charging points. Charging stations have recently come online… Read more »
FreeWire’s battery-integrated Boost Charger maximizes charging power while minimizing load on the grid
FreeWire Technologies, a pioneer of flexible charging solutions, has deployed a new type of battery-integrated fast charger at an ampm fuel retailer and convenience store in Lodi, California. FreeWire’s Boost Charger uses an integrated battery as a buffer, allowing it to deliver high power output without stressing the local power supply. Boost Charger, which supports… Read more »
Hyundai to spin off IONIQ as an EV-only brand, and launch three new EVs by 2024
Hyundai has launched a new brand called IONIQ, which will be dedicated to battery-electric vehicles. The company plans to introduce three new IONIQ EVs over the next four years. Hyundai Motor Group (which includes the Kia and Genesis brands) aims to sell one million BEVs by 2025, representing a 10 percent share of the global… Read more »
Startup Verkor plans to build 16 GWh battery gigafactory in France
After at least a year in stealth mode, French startup Verkor has announced plans to build a battery gigafactory in France. The facility, which is to open in 2023, will have an initial annual capacity of 16 GWh, which could be expanded to 50 GWh at a later date. The new company says it will… Read more »
Tampa, Florida secures federal grant to deploy four electric buses
The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART), which serves the Tampa, Florida, metropolitan area, has secured a $2.7-million federal grant to buy four electric buses, which are expected to be in service in two years. The federal grant will cover half the total project cost, which also includes underground wiring and charging stations. HART and… Read more »
Octillion Power Systems debuts new EV battery-leasing plan
Octillion Power Systems, a Tier 1 supplier of EV energy storage systems, has announced a new demonstrator battery-leasing program for fleet customers. Under the program, participating fleet operators will be allowed to source batteries through a five-year lease-to-own program, with no up-front payment. The goal of the demonstration program is to collect data on battery… Read more »
EPA issues draft performance requirements for ENERGY STAR DC fast charger specification
Vehicle chargers that earn the ENERGY STAR label are independently certified to save energy, based on criteria set by the EPA. The agency started with Level 1 and Level 2 chargers, and is currently in the process of expanding eligibility to include DC fast chargers. Work on a test method has been completed, and draft… Read more »
Lucid Air demonstrates 500-mile range
Lucid Motors has announced independent verification of a 517-mile range for its upcoming Lucid Air luxury sedan. The tests were conducted by FEV North America in Auburn Hills, Michigan, using the EPA’s Multicycle Test procedure. This appears to be a new record for a passenger EV, handily besting the 402-mile range of the 2020 Tesla… Read more »
