Moscow aims to electrify its entire bus fleet by 2032


Moscow is rapidly electrifying its municipal bus fleet. The Russian capital began replacing diesel buses with electric buses in 2018, and now operates some 600 e-buses on 42 routes. Over the next 4 years, the city plans to buy 2,675 more units, and authorities expect to have converted the entire fleet to electric drive by… Read more »

Lightyear closes $48-million funding round, aims to deliver solar-powered EV this year


Solar-powered cars, like flying cars, have long been a sci-fi staple, but thanks to ever-more-efficient PV panels, they could soon enter the realm of reality. Aptera says its upcoming EV will be able to incrementally charge from solar panels, and Hyundai/Kia has announced plans to add panels to certain models. Now the Dutch startup Lightyear,… Read more »

Rivian rushes to ramp production as it prepares to launch 3 EV models


Bringing a new vehicle into production is an undertaking that has bankrupted many a would-be automaker. EV trend-setter Tesla started out with just one low-volume model, and narrowly survived the experience. Electric truck startup Rivian Automotive plans to launch three new vehicles in the space of a few months. Rivian-watchers say the company is counting… Read more »

Fleet solution provider Highland Electric Transportation raises $253 million in new funding


Highland Electric Transportation, a provider of turnkey fleet solutions to school districts and fleet managers, has raised $253 million in a financing round led by Vision Ridge Partners. Highland provides its fleet customers with a full-service solution—it owns and maintains the vehicles under an all-inclusive transportation-as-a-service model. The Massachusetts-based company owns and operates EVs manufactured… Read more »

Gatik deploys electric autonomous, middle-mile box trucks


Gatik’s mission is to deliver goods using autonomous vehicles. With a fleet of light- and medium-duty trucks, it focuses on short-haul B2B logistics for the retail industry. The company has an existing partnership with Walmart, for which it operates multi-temperature box trucks on autonomous short runs. Now Gatik, which has offices in Palo Alto and… Read more »

Florida legislature proposes a yearly tax on EV owners—again


A bill that would impose a yearly tax on EV owners is quietly making its way through the Florida legislature. The bill (actually a pair of bills, Senate Bill 140 and House Bill 819) appears to be similar to one that was proposed during last year’s legislative session, but did not pass. It would impose… Read more »

EV startup Canoo plans to produce electric pickup in 2023


EV startup Canoo has announced plans for an electric pickup truck. Executive Chairman Tony Aquila said the Los Angeles-based company will begin taking pre-orders in the second quarter of 2021, and aims to launch the truck in the first quarter of 2023. “This is like no truck you’ve ever seen,” Aquila said at a recent… Read more »

Lion Electric sells 10 school buses to California’s largest school district


Lion Electric, a manufacturer of electric medium- and heavy-duty urban vehicles, has secured an order for its electric school buses from the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The initial order of 10 LionC buses follows Lion’s recent delivery to the Twin Rivers Unified School District in Sacramento. LAUSD is the second-largest school district in… Read more »

Waste haulers are beginning to order EVs as power, weight, range and cost converge


Waste haulers have been experimenting with various types of alternative-fuel vehicles for years. As a recent article in Transport Dive reports, major public companies including Waste Management, Waste Connections and Republic Services, as well as private haulers such as Recology, and some municipally run fleets, have tested various types of EVs, as well as other… Read more »

Proterra to supply battery system for Volta Zero electric delivery truck


Commercial vehicle manufacturer Volta Trucks has selected Proterra as the battery supplier for its upcoming Volta Zero, an electric 16-ton vehicle designed specifically for inner-city freight distribution. The collaboration represents US-based Proterra’s entry into the European truck market. Volta launched a prototype Volta Zero in September 2020. It plans to start customer trials later in… Read more »