LG Energy to Supply Proterra wit US Made Battery Cells
Proterra Inc, a leading innovator in commercial vehicle electrification technology, today announced that it has concluded negotiations with LG Energy Solution on a new agreement that will provide Proterra with a long-term supply of cylindrical cells produced at an LG Energy Solution battery cell manufacturing plant in the United States.
The U.S.-manufactured battery cells will be delivered to Proterra factories for the manufacture of the company’s industry-leading commercial electric vehicle battery systems. Proterra will commit upfront a low nine-figure sum under the agreement to secure multiple gigawatt hours of dedicated U.S.-manufactured battery cell capacity on an annual basis.
In addition to the U.S.-manufactured battery cells that will be supplied to Proterra under the new agreement, Proterra and LG Energy Solution have extended their existing battery cell supply agreement through 2024. Together, this secures Proterra a stable supply of LG Energy Solution battery cells through 2028.
More Dealers for Nikola Trucks
Nikola Corporation, a leading designer and manufacturer of heavy-duty commercial battery-electric vehicles (BEV), fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEV) and energy infrastructure solutions, announced today an expansion to its dealer network for its Class 8 truck sales and service coverage with the addition of Alta Equipment Group.
As a leading provider of construction and industrial equipment, Alta Equipment Group plans to represent sales and service locations in New York, New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania and other select areas in the New England region that have a growing opportunity in zero-emission technology for Class 8 trucks.
LG Supplies Cells for Romeo Power
Romeo Power, Inc. (“Romeo Power”) (NYSE:RMO), an energy technology leader delivering advanced electrification solutions for complex commercial vehicle applications, has entered into a long-term supply agreement for lithium-ion battery cells with LG Energy Solution, Ltd. (“LG Energy”), a Tier 1 battery cell and materials manufacturer.
Under the long-term supply agreement, LG Energy has committed to supplying cells to Romeo Power that equal 8GWh of energy through 2028. Romeo Power expects to use the allocated cells to manufacture battery packs for approximately 29,000 electric vehicles sold or operated by its customers.
Romeo Power will facilitate LG Energy’s build of an additional assembly line in Ochang, Korea through a recoupable pre-payment of $64.7 million. The agreement was approved by both Boards of Directors and became effective on August 10, 2021.
“With the rapidly increasing demand for battery cells within the e-mobility space, this partnership with LG Energy is a major milestone that puts Romeo Power in a strong position to support our current and future customers,” said Robert Mancini, Chairman of Romeo Power’s Board of Directors. “The high energy density, quality and impressive power output of LG Energy’s cells make them the perfect match for Romeo Power’s range of high-performance battery-electric solutions for complex commercial applications.”
About Romeo Power
-Romeo Power, Inc. (“Romeo Power”) (NYSE:RMO), an energy technology leader delivering advanced electrification solutions for complex commercial vehicle applications, has entered into a long-term supply agreement for lithium-ion battery cells with LG Energy Solution, Ltd. (“LG Energy”), a Tier 1 battery cell and materials manufacturer.
Under the long-term supply agreement, LG Energy has committed to supplying cells to Romeo Power that equal 8GWh of energy through 2028. Romeo Power expects to use the allocated cells to manufacture battery packs for approximately 29,000 electric vehicles sold or operated by its customers.
Romeo Power will facilitate LG Energy’s build of an additional assembly line in Ochang, Korea through a recoupable pre-payment of $64.7 million. The agreement was approved by both Boards of Directors and became effective on August 10, 2021.
Hyllion & US Reps Meet
Hyliion Holdings Corp. (NYSE: HYLN) (“Hyliion”), a leader in electrified powertrain solutions for Class 8 semi-trucks, recently met with U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm and U.S. Representative Haley Stevens to showcase the Hypertruck ERX™ at development collaborator FEV North America’s Auburn Hills, Michigan facility. The visit was part of a tour to promote the Biden administration’s $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure proposal.
Secretary Granholm and Representative Stevens were given an in-depth overview of the innovative, American-made technology that powers the Hypertruck ERX™, and also took a ride in a proof-of-concept unit, experiencing firsthand the quiet power of an electrified Class 8 truck.
“We were so pleased to showcase the Hypertruck ERX™ to Secretary Granholm, whose commitment to helping America achieve its goal of net-zero carbon emissions through innovative clean energy technology aligns with our vision of an electrified trucking industry,” said Bobby Cherian, Senior Vice President of Sales and Supply Chain.
“Hyliion’s powertrain technology provides fleets with a next-generation solution that empowers them to efficiently address sustainability goals by reducing their carbon footprint while bolstering performance,” Cherian added.
The Hypertruck ERX™ is an electric powertrain that is recharged by an onboard natural gas generator for Class 8 commercial trucks and will provide lower operating costs, emissions reductions, and superior performance to fleets nationwide. Utilizing the 700+ commercial natural gas vehicle filling stations across North America, it enables long range and quick refueling, and when fueled with renewable natural gas, can provide net-negative carbon emissions to commercial fleets.
In April, Hyliion announced a first of its kind Hypertruck Innovation Council with leading fleet and technology companies that will test and provide feedback on the Hypertruck ERX™. Just last week, the company noted that one of its current customers, Detmar Logistics LLC, has executed a reservation agreement covering 300 Hypertruck ERX™, with Hyliion showcasing demonstration units to the Detmar team in late 2021 and trials running in 2022.
ElectraMeccanica & US Sect. of Energy
ElectraMeccanica Vehicles Corp. (NASDAQ: SOLO) (“ElectraMeccanica” or the “Company”), a designer and manufacturer of electric vehicles, announced that Jennifer Granholm, former Michigan Governor and current U.S. Secretary of Energy, visited several southeastern Michigan manufacturing facilities along with Congresswoman Haley Stevens on Thursday, August 5. As part of the tour, Granholm viewed the Company’s flagship SOLO EV among other vehicles at the U.S. headquarters of its vehicle engineering partner FEV North America, Inc. in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
The tour was conducted in conjunction with the Biden administration’s effort to support its $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill. The proposed legislation includes $7.5 billion in provisions for electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure, including what would be the first-ever national network of EV chargers in the U.S.
“To have the Energy Secretary and former governor of Michigan experience and learn about our flagship SOLO EV in person is a distinct privilege,” said ElectraMeccanica President and CEO Paul Rivera. “We believe the SOLO is the perfect choice for consumers, commercial customers, fleet applications and SOLO Share as well. We’re grateful that our vehicle engineering partner FEV was able to organize this special event to showcase our vehicle and others yesterday in Michigan.”
“We appreciate the consideration of Secretary Granholm along with other members of the Michigan congressional delegation in visiting our North American Technical Center in Auburn Hills,” said Patrick Hupperich, CEO of FEV North America. “Working with sustainable mobility focused companies like ElectraMeccanica serves as a great example of FEV’s technical leadership, supporting customers as a complete vehicle engineering partner.”
Volta Industries SPAC Combo with Tortoise
Volta Industries, Inc. (“Volta Charging”), an industry leader in commerce-centric electric vehicle (“EV”) charging networks, which has entered into a definitive agreement for a business combination with Tortoise Acquisition Corp. II (NYSE: SNPR), announced today that it has further extended its market penetration with the installation of new charging stations at the Westfield Public Parking Lot in New Jersey. The exact address of these charging stations is 112 Prospect St, Westfield, New Jersey 07090.
In-Charge Energy In-Charge of Nissan Dealer Update from Chademo to CSS
In-Charge Energy, the industry leader in turnkey commercial fleet EV infrastructure solutions, is working with Nissan North America to install charging hardware and software at more than 500 dealerships across the United States. The upgraded chargers are part of the preparations for the all-new 2022 Nissan Ariya electric crossover, hitting roads later this year.
“Having a well-equipped dealer network is critical to a successful EV rollout,” said Cameron Funk, CEO of In-Charge Energy. “It is incredibly important that we help create a seamless experience for Nissan customers, which includes early adopters of the Leaf as well as new market entrants who will love the Ariya.”
The all-new Ariya will be equipped with CCS-format DC fast charging, rather than the CHAdeMo-format charging that has been used in the Nissan Leaf EV since 2010.
The In-Charge team has been working closely with Nissan to identify and swap dealers’ CHAdeMo-compliant fast chargers with newer 50 kW fast chargers from ABB that can charge Nissan’s older EVs as well as the new Ariya.
In addition to the sweeping charging hardware upgrades across the country, Nissan has opted to deploy In-Charge Energy’s software platform, In-Control. The first fleet-focused charger management platform, In-Control allows users to digitally operate, monitor and maintain individual chargers throughout a charger’s life cycle. In-Control even allows dealers to pull reports for carbon-emission tax credit opportunities.
“Our In-Control software is like the Office Suite of fleet charging,” said Krishna Vanka, Chief Product Officer at In-Charge Energy. “This platform will allow Nissan dealers to easily keep track of their chargers’ performance and makes it easy to submit workorders if they experience any issues.”
The hardware installations and additional infrastructure upgrades at Nissan’s dealerships are expected to be complete by the end of 2021.
VOLTAIQ, Partners with VENIAm
VOLTAIQ, the industry leader in Enterprise Battery Intelligence™ and VENIAM, the leading intelligent networking platform provider have signed a partnership agreement to transfer an order of magnitude more electrification data to the cloud. Using VENIAM’s Intelligent Networking Platform, VOLTAIQ will enable its customers to make the most out of all available networks such as 4G/5G, Wi-Fi, and V2X networks, thereby transferring larger battery data sets to power their cloud analytics.
Battery technology has developed rapidly in the last 10 years and demand for electric vehicles is at an all-time high with growth rates over 300% per year. To further drive adoption, battery range and health are among the most pressing concerns. VOLTAIQ has developed the market’s only fully–automated, purpose–built battery analytics solution capable of systematically gathering, analyzing, and translating vast quantities of battery data into actionable insights. The company’s intelligent software solution equips customers with a holistic understanding of their battery systems, allowing them to access real–time battery function and predict future performance and behavior accurately.
To solve the challenge of transferring the fast growing data volumes in a cost-effective way, VOLTAIQ will leverage VENIAM’s unique ability to transfer 10x more data at 50% – 80% lower cost per gigabyte. This includes utilizing millions of Wi-Fi hotspots for data offload automatically even when the vehicles are on the move. Vehicles powered by VOLTAIQ will also be able to use enterprise Wi-Fi networks for data offload and even communicate securely among each other using Veniam’s advanced vehicle-to-vehicle communication capabilities.//
Mobility House V2G ChargePilot Pilots
-The Mobility House continues to pioneer the field of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology by bringing its ChargePilot software to Southeast Asia for the first V2G trial. SP Group (formerly Singapore Power), Singapore’s national grid operator and leading sustainable solutions provider, has increased its initial investment in The Mobility House in conjunction with the start of its V1G and V2G technology trial. The trial will test and verify the feasibility of controlled charging as well as using energy stored in electric vehicles (EVs) to enhance grid stability. The goal is to accommodate higher EV grid penetration, particularly as Singapore prepares to replace all internal combustion engine vehicles by 2040.
The Mobility House has become a market leader in V2G around the world and has demonstrated the broad range of its technology applications. This includes mitigating transmission line congestion in Germany to stabilize the power grid and providing emergency power supply for the Johan Cruijff ArenA in Amsterdam. Here onsite chargers allow visitors to charge vehicles while parked and also return energy to the stadium in emergency situations. The European Investment Bank (EIB) also invested €15 million to promote EV integration into the electric grid through research and development funding for The Mobility House’s intelligent Charging and Energy Management system ChargePilot and its underlying EV Aggregation Platform.
“ChargePilot’s intelligent integration of EVs into the power grid not only stabilizes power supply but can also improve the CO2 emissions reductions of charging an EV by almost double,” said The Mobility House U.S. Managing Director Greg Hintler. “The Mobility House offers the only non-proprietary, open-standards technology in the market, affirming our ability to expand our global footprint of smart charging and V2G deployments to Southeast Asia, North America and beyond.”
Given the significant amount of time vehicles are parked unused, V2G can provide additional value by intelligently connecting EVs to the power grid to provide various grid-stabilizing services. The Mobility House’s ChargePilot enables smart charging and discharging of EVs according to the grid’s needs in a comprehensive solution for a fully electrified, emissions-free mobility future. Bridging the gap between energy and mobility also makes offsetting new electrification costs possible, as they provide end users with added benefits of utility bill reduction and increased revenue streams.
The Mobility House at ACT Expo 2021
The Mobility House team will be exhibiting (Booth #1716) at the upcoming Advanced Clean Transportation Expo 2021, to be held at the Long Beach Convention Center on August 30-September 2. Visitors will be able to see live demonstrations of the company’s intelligent Charging and Energy Management system ChargePilot and engage with The Mobility House experts on-site. Conference attendees can also hear from Rajiv Singhal, director of strategic partnerships for The Mobility House during the session titled, Light and Medium Duty Vehicle Summit Part 2 – Making Charging Smarter, taking place at 11:15am local time on September 2. Here Rajiv will discuss how smart charging technologies are optimizing charging, fuel costs and up-time for fleets today.
Tritium Partners with Greenlots & BGE
To address the need for more electric vehicle (EV) charging options, Tritium partnered with Greenlots and Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) on a series of charging locations throughout Central Maryland. The first phase includes 12 sites with Tritium RT50 direct current (DC) fast chargers which have been installed at libraries, government parking lots, airports, and retail centers, with eight more charging destinations planned in the coming months. Greenlots, a member of the Shell Group, is providing installation and networking services to these BGE locations throughout the region.
“Not only will these installations encourage Baltimore-area drivers to consider purchasing electric vehicles by reducing range anxiety, but they will also help Maryland reach its goal of having 300,000 zero-emissions vehicles on the road by 2025,” said Divesh Gupta, Baltimore Gas and Electric Director of Strategy. “Implementing this technology supports our purpose of powering a cleaner and brighter future for our customers and communities.”
BGE launched an EV charging network in Maryland in the fall of 2019. As the charging network continues to roll out, EV drivers will have the option to charge their vehicles at any of the 100 BGE-owned DC fast charger sites throughout the BGE service area. BGE’s charging rates are comparable to other public charging options and give drivers the flexibility and peace of mind to drive farther than ever before.
Lion Electric School Buses for P.E.I
The Lion Electric Company (NYSE: LEV) (TSX: LEV) (“Lion” or the “Company”), a leading manufacturer of all-electric medium and heavy-duty urban vehicles and the province of Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.), today jointly announced that Lion has received an order for 35 LionC school buses from P.E.I. The vehicles will join the 12 LionC buses already operating in the province, which have been servicing routes in the Charlottetown area since early 2021. Lion will also provide 35 Level 2 charging stations to P.E.I. as it continues to build out its electric vehicle infrastructure.
The purchase was made in part using funds from the governments of Canada and Prince Edward Island, who are contributing over $6.3 million to the clean school bus project through the Green Infrastructure stream (GIS) of the “Investing in Canada” infrastructure plan.
With a total of 47 all-electric school buses in its fleet, P.E.I. will be one of the largest operators of zero-emission school buses in North America, with Lion as the largest heavy-duty zero-emission Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) in the province. Transitioning to electric school buses is a key part of the province’s larger Sustainable Transportation Action Plan, as P.E.I. moves toward an eventual goal of replacing the entirety of its 332-school bus fleet with electric school buses, along with transitioning its transit bus operations to zero-emission. Putting 47 electric school buses on the road will prevent up to 1,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions on the island each year.
Through the “Investing in Canada” infrastructure plan, the Government of Canada is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada’s rural and northern communities.
Nuvve Partners withg Blue Bird for V2G
– Nuvve Holding Corp. (Nuvve) (Nasdaq: NVVE), a global technology leader accelerating the electrification of transportation through its proprietary vehicle-to-grid (V2G) platform, and Blue Bird Corporation (Nasdaq: BLBD), the leading American-made independent designer and manufacturer of school buses, announced today their plan to deploy the extensive financing capabilities from Levo Mobility LLC (Levo), Nuvve’s recently formed joint venture with Stonepeak Partners LP, across Blue Bird’s distribution network, allowing customers to lease V2G electric school buses, related charging infrastructure, and energy management for an attractive flat monthly fee with no upfront costs. The Nuvve and Blue Bird partnership expansion also makes V2G ubiquitous in the electric school bus market by integrating Nuvve V2G charging infrastructure within the Blue Bird manufacturing and distribution network.
Nuvve and Blue Bird previously announced their collaboration to introduce V2G-compatible electric buses to the U.S. market and more intelligently integrate electric vehicles (EVs) into the grid using Nuvve’s V2G platform. All Blue Bird Type C and D electric buses are manufactured with Nuvve’s V2G integration which, when combined with a Nuvve V2G charging station, are able to store and discharge energy. The excess stored energy across multiple buses can be combined to form virtual power plants (VPPs) offering valuable grid services that earn revenue. Blue Bird’s V2G capability provides a significant advantage over other electric buses to school districts, by providing a way to leverage the buses when parked and connected to help stabilize the grid and prevent blackouts.
Levo will offer its Fleet-as-a-Service (FaaS) model through Blue Bird’s nationwide distribution network, providing fully financed electric school buses along with associated charging infrastructure, service, and energy management to qualified Blue Bird customers and dealers. Levo has a capital commitment of up to $750 million with the potential to electrify up to 3,500 school buses. By providing multiple paths to acquire electric school bus fleets, Nuvve, Levo, and Blue Bird are delivering flexibility to school districts and bus operators and accelerating their path towards electrification and sustainability.
Nuvve’s V2G platform and charging infrastructure will also be installed at Blue Bird’s manufacturing facility to allow all new electric buses to quickly charge before delivery, taking advantage of the V2G capability by providing revenue-generating energy back to the power grid.
By using Nuvve’s V2G platform, schools can realize cost benefits by intelligently charging electric buses when rates are low and allowing Nuvve to sell the excess energy in their electric buses back to the grid when needed; these proceeds can be shared with customers or help offset upfront costs of charging infrastructure. Additionally, the technology enables electric vehicles to act as “storage on wheels” for renewable energy, including solar and wind that is intermittent by nature, and helps integrate these resources into the grid in a more predictable and reliable way.
The two companies also plan to deploy Nuvve V2G charging stations along with electric buses at select Blue Bird dealers in multiple states across the U.S. With V2G buses and charging infrastructure on site, Blue Bird dealerships will be able to demonstrate the asset optimization, revenue generating capabilities and showcase the lower total cost of ownership of V2G for school transportation leaders interested in converting their fleets from diesel to electric buses.
ChargePoint Buys ViriCiti
Schaeffler EV Stuff at IAA
The automotive and industrial supplier Schaeffler is presenting innovative components and systems at the IAA Mobility 2021 under the motto “On Track to Sustainable Mobility”: In addition to efficient bearing and damper solutions for hybrid transmissions, the company is presenting new releases in the form of an 800-volt power electronics system and a highly integrated thermal management system. “Whether individual components or complete systems, Schaeffler is the technology partner of choice for its customers worldwide,” says Matthias Zink, CEO Automotive Technologies, Schaeffler AG. “Our decades of expertise in internal combustion engine drives also provides the foundation for shaping the change in e-mobility that will move the world. Numerous serial nominations in the field of electric drives prove that Schaeffler is on the right path.” The volume of orders received in the E-Mobility Division in the first half of 2021 is valued at 2.1 billion euros, which means that the target planned for the whole of 2021 has already been achieved. “Schaeffler’s high level of production and technological expertise across all components of electric drive systems plays a pivotal role in achieving products that are both technically advanced and economical,” says Dr. Jochen Schröder, Head of the E-Mobility Division. “An annual order intake of 2-3 billion euros is planned in the E-Mobility Division with effect from 2022.”
High-voltage power electronics complement the product range
As a new release, Schaeffler is presenting an in-house 800-volt power electronics system for electric axle applications in high-performance vehicles. The scalable solution enables continuous outputs of up to 330 kW and short-term peak outputs of up to 500 kW. The achievable power density of up to 70 kW per liter denotes small housing dimensions and consequently advantages in integration. Power electronics make a decisive contribution, alongside the motor, to powertrain efficiency. Schaeffler has opted to use the latest silicon carbide wide bandgap technology in the 800-volt on-board power supply, which will significantly reduce power losses compared with conventional silicon IGBT technology and enable efficiencies of over 99 percent in defined load ranges. As a result, the overall range of electric vehicles will be noticeably increased. Furthermore, the charging speeds achievable with the 800-volt voltage class are considerably higher than those achieved with the 400-volt voltage class that has been widely used to date. An in-house motor control solution is also used, which enables various modulation processes and variable switching frequencies.
Highly integrated 3-in-1 electric axle
At the IAA, Schaeffler will use its 3-in-1 electric axle, which combines the electric motor, transmission, and power electronics in one system, to demonstrate how performance electronics blend into the overall system. Signal processing and control of the drive is performed by proprietary Schaeffler software. Featuring a transmission with excellent torque density, the performance electric axle from Schaeffler makes a convincing case and is characterized, above all, by its compact dimensions, high performance density, high system efficiency, and excellent acoustic behavior. Thanks to a modular structure, the system can meet different usage requirements and can be used for various vehicle platforms.
Thermal management in a single system for the first time
Thermal management is crucial for the range of electric vehicles. In order to achieve a high level of efficiency, the Schaeffler thermal management system continuously regulates the temperature – particularly of the battery but also of the electric motor, and the power electronics – which is adapted to the ambient and operating conditions. The system also controls the temperature in the interior of the vehicle and simultaneously ensures the best possible vehicle range. Two electric water pumps, the central electronic unit for the pumps and valves, and a refrigeration circuit interface are all integrated in the central control unit for coolants and refrigerants. Compared with conventional, non-integrated systems, this reduces the required installation space by up to 60 percent and, with its hydraulically optimized design, lays the foundation for a high degree of overall system efficiency.
Volvo Trucks Delivers VNR Electric Beer Trucks
Volvo Trucks North America now delivers its first Class 8, battery-electric regional hauling trucks on the East Coast to its customer Manhattan Beer Distributors. Five zero exhaust emission Volvo VNR Electric trucks are joining the New York City-based beer and beverage distributors’ fleet of more than 400 delivery trucks to service customers throughout New York City, Long Island, and the surrounding counties.
“By working together with customers like Manhattan Beer Distributors that are dedicated to reducing their environmental impact, Volvo Trucks has been able to make meaningful progress on the path toward widescale commercial deployment of VNR Electrics from coast to coast,” said Peter Voorhoeve, president of Volvo Trucks North America.
To support the charging of its battery-electric fleet, Manhattan Beer Distributors has installed three Level 3 DC fast chargers at its Bronx facility that can fully recharge its Volvo VNR Electric trucks up to 80 percent in 70 minutes. Manhattan Beer Distributors’ battery-electric trucks were the first Volvo VNR Electric models to enter full serial production at Volvo Trucks’ New River Valley manufacturing plant in Dublin, Virginia, which assembles all Volvo trucks sold in North America.
“As one of the largest beverage distributors in the U.S., Manhattan Beer Distributors recognizes the broad sustainability impact that we can make by eliminating our fleet’s tailpipe emissions,” said Simon Bergson, founder, president & CEO of Manhattan Beer Distributors. “Volvo Trucks has long supported our sustainability goals and demonstrated that their low- and zero-emission truck lineup provides the safety, performance, and reliability we’ve come to expect.
New Castrol EV Fluids
Castrol has announced the launch of Castrol ON, the new brand for its range of advanced fluids for EVs. The range includes e-Transmission Fluids, e-Coolants and e-Greases. Advanced e-Transmission Fluids help extend the life of the drivetrain system and enable EVs to go further on a single charge. e-Coolants help keep batteries cooler, even in extreme conditions, and enable them to tolerate ultra-fast charging (>150kw), while e-Greases enable EVs to perform more efficiently by minimising temperature spikes, and enhancing durability of components whilst lowering weight.
Castrol ON e-Fluids therefore help to bring the automotive industry closer to achieving the three key tipping points for mainstream EV adoption, as identified by Castrol’s Accelerating the EVolution study. These tipping points are: a charge time of 31 minutes, a range of 469 kilometres and a price point of $36,000.
DOE Grant for Nikola
Nikola Corporation (NASDAQ: NKLA), a leading designer and manufacturer of heavy-duty commercial battery-electric vehicles (BEV), fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEV) and energy infrastructure solutions, today announced that they have been awarded an approximate $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to advance its research into autonomous refueling technologies for future hydrogen fueling stations.
Autonomous fueling is part of the industry’s effort to ensure fast, efficient, and safe fueling of a large onboard storage system to be less than 20 minutes for heavy-duty vehicles. This project is expected to address this goal by working to develop an autonomous fueling system that can rapidly refuel heavy-duty fuel-cell electric trucks, while minimizing labor and challenges relating to ergonomics and maintenance of equipment, as compared to an equivalent manual fueling process.
“This funding is essential to advance key hydrogen fueling technologies that can improve the overall efficiency of fuel-cell commercial vehicles, while maintaining the safety and reliability standards required,” said Pablo Koziner, president, Energy and Commercial, Nikola. “The work we are doing with the Department of Energy and our partners on fueling technology is part of Nikola’s wholistic approach to the hydrogen ecosystem; supplementary to our work on heavy-duty vehicles, infrastructure, and energy solutions.”
The grant is funded by the US Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Transportation Office under the recently announced Hydrogen and Fuel Cells R&D FY2021 FOA (#HydrogenNow).
Nikola is committed to designing and building hydrogen fueling stations, as well as helping to develop, test, and standardize fueling hardware to facilitate the widespread adoption of heavy-duty fuel-cell electric trucks.
Audi Ends Participation in Formula E Today
Audi’s factory involvement in Formula E will come to an end this weekend (August 14 and 15) with the two final races of the first World Championship season. After seven successful seasons and numerous and in some cases peculiar bests, the brand is facing new motorsport challenges.
Intense preparation by Lucas di Grassi and René Rast in the simulator at Neuburg, setting up the garage at the former Tempelhof Airport for the last time, two final starting grids and the very last checkered flag at just before 4.30 p.m. on Sunday: Audi is facing emotional few days before its factory farewell to Formula E. As a founding member of the series, Team Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler will say goodbye to Formula E after 84 races.