Sunrun Powers Ford F-150 Lightning with the Sun and Connects to Backup
Truck owners are used to tapping a variety of features – torque, towing capability and more – to get things done. Now, with the all-electric F-150® Lightning™ pickup, Ford is the first in the U.S. to offer the ability for customers to power their homes with an electric truck when the grid goes dark, providing innovative new capabilities that enhance the energy independence of its customers.
Ford and F-Series, America’s best-selling trucks for 45 years*, are partnering with Sunrun, the nation’s leading solar company, to enhance home energy management, leveraging the substantial onboard battery capability of the all-electric F-150 Lightning. Americans experienced the most power interruptions on record in 2020, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration; and with F-150 Lightning, homeowners can use their truck to maintain their routines during brief or extended outages.
“F-150 Lightning brings new innovations to customers, including the ability to power their homes when they need it most,” said Matt Stover, Ford charging and energy services director. “Teaming up with Sunrun leverages their expertise to bring solar power to even more customers, giving them the chance to turn their truck into an incredible energy storage source – and future truck features can help accelerate the development of a less carbon-intensive grid.”
Sunrun is the preferred installer of F-150 Lightning home charging solutions, including the 80-amp Ford Charge Station Pro and Home Integration System, which enables the F-150 Lightning to store and supply power to homes in a variety of ways**. Sunrun will also offer home solar options to customers in select areas who are interested in leveraging more renewable energy.
“America’s energy future starts at home, and partnering with Ford illustrates a momentous shift in the way we power our lives,” said Mary Powell, Sunrun CEO. “No longer tethered to a carbon-intensive energy system, we’ll be able to offer more paths to greater energy independence by powering homes and vehicles with the sun, while helping rapidly accelerate the transition to a clean, resilient energy future for all.”
Ford Intelligent Backup Power, making its debut on F-150 Lightning, gives customers the ability to use bidirectional power technology** from their all-electric truck to provide energy to their homes during an outage, whether sheltering in a storm or keeping cool in a heat wave.
The F-150 Lightning extended-range battery system can store 131 kilowatt-hours of energy*** and deliver up to 9.6 kilowatts of power in a cleaner, quieter, more efficient way versus gasoline-powered generators, and with greater capacity than many wall battery units. F-150 Lightning can also offer lower-cost energy storage in a product customers already own – their truck.
With Ford Intelligent Backup Power and the Home Integration System, F-150 Lightning automatically kicks in to power your home if the grid goes down. Once power is restored, the system automatically reverts back to utility power. Based on an average U.S. home at 30 kilowatt-hours of use per day, F-150 Lightning with extended-range battery provides full home power for up to three days, or as long as 10 days when used in conjunction with solar power or rationing†.
To benefit from Ford Intelligent Backup Power and future energy management solutions, customers need to equip their home with the Ford Charge Station Pro and Home Integration System, which is composed of a power inverter plus a dark start battery and transfer switch, enabling the two-way power flow. Buyers of the extended-range F-150 Lightning automatically receive the Ford Charge Station Pro. Standard-range truck customers can purchase the 80-amp Ford Charge Station Pro and pay for activation separately. The Home Integration System – developed together with Sunrun – can be purchased through Sunrun this spring.
Ford is partnering with Sunrun to provide a seamless installation solution with Sunrun experts installing the specific charging hardware so customers can be assured their system will work reliably. Additionally, customers interested in combining Ford Charge Station Pro installation with solar power may be eligible to do so for as little as zero dollars down and reduced installation pricing††.
In the future, Ford will introduce additional F-150 Lightning features to help customers potentially save money and take pressure off the electric grid during peak usage. Ford Intelligent Power, for example, will allow customers to power their homes with their truck’s battery when electricity rates are higher, while charging the truck when rates are lower – or from their own solar-powered rooftop. This load shift can also help buffer the load on the nation’s grid and help reduce the use of higher carbon energy without affecting daily routines or charging schedules†††.
Retail customers will need to have the Ford Charge Station Pro – developed together with Siemens – and Home Integration System installed, and standard range customers will also need to purchase the same one-time from Ford to enable the feature. Commercial customers can work with Ford Pro to plan an appropriate home charging installation.
Customers can contact Sunrun about installation and solar options ahead of delivery. To learn more about Ford Intelligent Backup Power and home requirements, please visit the Ford Intelligent Backup Power website.
Deliveries of the F-150 Lightning will begin this spring.
GreenPower Partners with Community Colleges for Training
GreenPower Motor Company Inc., a leading manufacturer and distributor of zero-emission, electric-powered medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, announced a partnership with BridgeValley Community & Technical College and the Workforce Development Board of Kanawha County. The program will provide workforce development and training opportunities for potential employees at its South Charleston all-electric school bus manufacturing facility.
Charging Systems Rated
A new report among seven charge point providers (CPOs). Infrastructure and benchmarking specialist umlaut, now part of Accenture, and Charged Electric Vehicles Magazine (Charged) have conducted the analysis for the second consecutive year.
With Tesla and Blink, two providers were added to the 2021 analysis, which also includes more and different states. Where the 2020 benchmark looked at charging infrastructure in California, in 2021 the testers drove 2,100 miles in their testing e-vehicles, a Ford Mach-e and a Tesla Model 3, across Connecticut, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
For the second time in a row, Electrify America came out first. With 702 out of a possible 1,000 points, Electrify America received umlaut’s 2021 Best-in-Test award. Tesla Supercharger, scoring 649 points, was ranked second, followed by ChargePoint (611), EVgo (578), Greenlots (548), Blink (505), and EV Connect (472 points).
umlaut and Charged evaluated the seven providers in two categories: 1) Digital Platform – the digital experience on a charging provider’s website and smartphone app; 2) Charging Location – the physical interaction at the charging station location.
While Electrify America also took the lead in the Digital Platform category, Tesla Supercharger scored highest in Charging Locations.
As electric fever hits the U.S. auto market this year, businesses and schools across the country are investing in training the workforce needed to support the electric vehicles (EV) of the future. Vehya is one startup based in Detroit, Michigan playing a big role in recruiting, training, and deploying the green power workers of the future – electricians who will be needed to install and maintain EV chargers across the country.
Founded in Detroit, Vehya delivers targeted EV charging solutions that are designed for businesses, governments entities, and homeowners. The company makes choosing, installing, and maintaining EV chargers simple and cost-effective. Vehya is supporting the U.S. build the infrastructure needed for an all-electric mobility future. To support the exponential electric vehicle growth, CEO William McCoy is focused on training new EV charging professionals. This is an important task because, with more than 130 million homes and 30 million plus businesses, there are less than 1 million licensed electricians employed in the U.S., according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Installation and service of EV chargers is what we do. Right now, in the U.S., we do not have enough electricians to meet the future demand for EVs. At Vehya we are using technology focused on preventing the all-electric future from coming to a grinding halt because of workforce logistics,” explains McCoy.
Funding for Zeta Energy
Zeta Energy, a Texas-based company that has developed a safe, low-cost, high performance and sustainable battery for the electric vehicle and energy storage markets, announced that it has closed its $23 million Series A round led by Moore Strategic Ventures.
Zeta Energy has developed a lithium sulfur battery system with both a proprietary cathode and a proprietary anode. Its sulfur-based cathodes offer superior stability and higher sulfur content, outperforming current metal-based cathode materials. Zeta’s proprietary sulfurized carbon material prevents the polysulfide shuttle effect that has long held back advances in lithium sulfur batteries. Zeta’s sulfur-based cathodes are also inherently inexpensive, have high capacity, use no cobalt, nickel or manganese, and dramatically simplify and secure the supply chain.
Zeta Energy has also developed lithium metal anodes that outperform other current and advanced anode technologies, with significantly higher energy density than other major anode chemistries and without any of the dendrite issues common to lithium metal.
Funding for Volcon’s Off Roaders
Volcon Inc. the first all-electric, off-road powersports company, announced the closing of an underwritten public offering (the “Offering”) of 6,666,667 shares of common stock, par value $0.00001 per share (“Common Stock”), issued by the Company, at a price to the public of $3.00 per Share. The gross proceeds from the Offering, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated Offering expenses, is approximately $20.0 million.
In addition, the Company granted Aegis Capital Corp., the underwriter, a 45-day option to purchase up to 1,000,000 additional shares of Common Stock, solely to cover over-allotments, if any, which would increase the total gross proceeds of the Offering to approximately $23 million, if the over-allotment option is exercised in full.
ElectraMeccanica Intros Specs for SOLO Cargo EV
ElectraMeccanica Vehicles Corp. (NASDAQ: SOLO) (“ElectraMeccanica” or the “Company”), a designer and manufacturer of electric vehicles revolutionizing the urban driving experience, announced the specifications of its SOLO Cargo EV as well as the timeline for the commencement of deliveries, expected to begin in the second quarter of 2022. The SOLO Cargo EV was developed based on direct input from prospective customers, having been modified with an expanded cargo box to accommodate a wide variety of applications for fleet and commercial customers with functionally and utility in mind.
The SOLO Cargo EV has a range of 100 miles and a top speed of 80 mph, making it safe for highway use. It also features front and rear crumple zones, side impact protection, a Kevlar reinforced safety hoop, torque-limiting control as well as power steering, power brakes, air conditioning and a configurable entertainment system.
SOLO Cargo EV dimensions have been expanded to include cargo space for a total of 11.8 cubic feet of storage space – as compared to 5 cubic feet of storage in the standard SOLO EV. The uniquely styled vehicle is 53” tall and approximately 123” long, and the rear cargo dimensions are 37.5” long x 34” wide x 16” high. The Cargo version contains a variety of features for commercial applications including a bulkhead which separates the driver from the cargo contents, an adjustable/folding interior floor panel, cargo netting, lighting in the rear cargo space and a telematics enabled device. For added safety, the roof is reinforced with a Kevlar band.
Electreon ERS in Detroit
Electreon (TASE: ELWS.TA), the leading provider of wireless and in-road wireless electric vehicle (EV) charging technology, announced it will deploy its first public wireless EV charging road system in the U.S. The company won the RFP to build an Electric Road System (ERS) in Detroit as part of the inductive vehicle charging pilot program in partnership with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), the Michigan Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME) and the Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC). The wireless charging infrastructure, which will be implemented in the Michigan Central district, will support a suite of use cases involving various vehicle types and partners including autonomous vehicles. This news follows Electreon’s official entrance into the U.S. market earlier this month with the opening of the company’s Los Angeles office and addition of Corey Johnson, former speaker of the New York City Council, as a strategic consultant for the New York region.
“We are excited to enter the U.S. market and collaborate with industry leaders to further enhance the country’s mobility ecosystem,” said Stefan Tongur, vice president of business development, for Electreon in the U.S. “Michigan’s automotive industry roots built a foundation for mobility innovation and we’re thrilled to join this community of experts. We are looking forward to collaborating with departments of transportation, state and municipal agencies, and automotive and mobility industry innovators in Michigan, California and New York on charging infrastructure that’s vehicle agnostic and can be included in any electric vehicle. Our technology has the potential to support electric fleets of all types from public transit buses to delivery vans and long-haul trucks for logistics.”
Electreon will lead the design, evaluation, iteration, testing and implementation of the pilot program, which aims to be operational by 2023. The project is currently slated for a stretch of road up to one-mile long in Detroit and will include dynamic and stationary wireless EV charging. The project will be hosted by and live within Michigan Central, a mobility innovation district, and supported by Next Energy, Ford Motor Co., DTE, Jacobs Engineering Group and the City of Detroit.
“Hosting the first wireless charging road system in the U.S. as part of the open platform we are providing at Michigan Central will serve as a magnet to attract innovators to test on this nationally significant asset joining in the work with Electreon, Next Energy and many others, and also show people the value electrification can create,” said Carolina Pluszczynski, Michigan Central development director. “We are excited to actively work with Electreon and source pilot opportunities with such innovators to leverage the open wireless charging system.”
Electreon’s award-winning charging infrastructure, which can wirelessly charge EVs while in-motion and stationary, is one of the first in the world to be successfully demonstrated on public roads. The company is actively operating pilots in Germany, Italy and Sweden, and is preparing to execute a recently signed commercial deal to provide a “plug free” charging network for 200 public buses in Tel Aviv, Israel.
“Here in Michigan, embracing bold innovations that transform the future of mobility and electrification is a part of our DNA,” said Trevor Pawl, chief mobility officer for the state of Michigan. “We are thrilled to see how Electreon’s proposals become a nationwide model for how we can continue accelerating electric vehicle adoption and usher in a new generation of transportation technologies.”
“It is a privilege to be working with the State of Michigan to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles in the Motor City,” said Oren Ezer, CEO, Electreon. “This is a monumental step towards expanding our U.S. presence and team, and it’s exciting to start in the birthplace of the modern automobile industry. We plan to build on Electreon’s proven track record of success globally, and demonstrate its ability to help the U.S. realize its electrification and emissions reduction goals.”
BorgWarner Joins DOE
BorgWarner Inc., (BorgWarner) announced that it has joined the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Better Climate Challenge, a national leadership initiative that calls on chief executive officers, university presidents and state and local leaders to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, create jobs, and promote healthy, safe and thriving communities. Partners of the Better Climate Challenge make a public commitment to take environmental action, including a 50% or more reduction in GHG emissions over the course of 10 years.
By joining the Better Climate Challenge, BorgWarner is further committing to pursuing an aggressive energy efficiency target to demonstrate how it is prioritizing energy efficiency as a decarbonization strategy. The company will leverage its existing organization-wide plan with GHG reduction milestones and further expand on it as needed by the DOE. Additionally, it will commit to participating in at least one working group to discuss barriers to achieve goals, exchange best practices with other partners and work to identify solutions. As required by all participants, BorgWarner will make its energy performance data available by reporting its GHG findings annually for the duration of the 10-year challenge.
“BorgWarner is proud and excited to accept the DOE’s challenge of strengthening the clean energy economy,” said Dr. Volker Weng, Vice President of BorgWarner Inc. and President and General Manager, Drivetrain Systems and Sustainability Steering Committee Champion. “We look forward to uniting and collaborating with partnering organizations to share ideas, resources and solutions while taking measurable steps to address climate change in BorgWarner’s pursuit of becoming carbon neutral by 2035.”
BorgWarner will join other participating mobility leaders including Ford, General Motors, Cummins Inc. and Lear Corporation, among others representing a wide variety of industries within the U.S.
Ferry Funding
“The future of transportation is electromobility, and Ferry is all about the democratization of this future,” said Kristian Russell, Founder and CEO of Ferry. “We are grateful to have the support from an accomplished group of investors whose strategic guidance will supercharge our mission to help get 50% of US drivers behind the wheel of an electric vehicle in the next 10 years.”
Ferry enables users to obtain a short-term (6, 12, or 24 month) lease on a new electric vehicle with no down payment and delivery to their door, transacting the entire process within the app. Users can choose from a range of new EV models at a single, transparent monthly price and no down payment. 1000 miles per month (with the ability to upgrade), maintenance, and taxes are included.
By prioritizing flexibility and simplicity, Ferry reduces the significant hurdles consumers have faced for years when seeking to lease an electric vehicle. And with regulations banning direct auto sales in many states, Ferry’s direct leasing model presents a path to get more Americans in EVs quickly.
Wejo EV Infrastructure System
-Wejo Group Limited (NASDAQ: WEJO), a global leader in cloud and software analytics generated from Autonomous Vehicle, Electric Vehicle and Connected Vehicle Data (CVD) announced the availability of the electric vehicle (EV) Infrastructure Operating System, a first-of-its-kind, integrated solution for new EV charger site selection and charger network management, built on and available through Palantir Foundry. The EV application enables the integration of Wejo’s data alongside an organization’s proprietary data. The application can be deployed by government agencies, automakers, charging network operators, retailers and more.
When used with Wejo data, the new OS enables organizations to efficiently and effectively plan site placement and operate charging networks by combining real-time vehicle data with their own relevant data, ensuring all their specific needs are accounted for. Following chargepoint installation, the application’s network operations tools help maximize revenue and increase network reliability. Organizations can manage networks of chargers at scale with tooling that connects to chargers’ IoT sensor data, monitor and improve the performance of individual chargers, and more.
By providing this breadth and depth of data and context, using Wejo data in the EV Infrastructure OS helps to break down barriers that stand between wider adoption of EVs, making access more equitable in the process. The application is also designed with an open architecture and thus can serve as a foundation to uncover new workflows to generate added value, thereby enabling organizations interested in the future of mobility to capitalize at the right time.
“With Wejo data in this application, organizations all over the world will be able to unlock, visualize and understand the full picture of EV demand and customer potential within the context of their own offering and circumstances,” said Richard Barlow, CEO of Wejo. “Wejo’s billions of connected vehicle data points can highlight journey paths, fuel types and movement patterns, providing exactly what organizations need when setting up for EV operations.”
Further, the platform supports Wejo data in a manner that easily integrates with other third-party data, including that of interested organizations; for example, a retailer could prioritize stores that have high or low basket values to encourage more EV traffic around the priority market. By integrating third-party data with charging infrastructure data, users can create a picture of economic activity throughout the network. This can then provide a broader view of what can be expected in the future and drive successful, long-term investment decisions.
IRM Joins Climate Groups EV 100
Iron Mountain (NYSE: IRM), the global leader in innovative storage and information management services, has joined the Climate Group’s EV100 initiative and reached key milestones in electrifying its global vehicle fleet, continuing its journey to reach its Climate Pledge commitment to achieve Net Zero Carbon emissions by 2040. Iron Mountain, which operates a worldwide fleet of over 5,000 cars, vans and trucks has committed to transitioning 100% of company cars and 50% of vans to EVs by 2030, as part of EV100. As an initial step, the company has committed to converting 10% of its worldwide fleet to EV by 2025.
E.C.D. Drops Jaws
– E.C.D. Automotive Design (E.C.D.), the nation’s largest and leading authority in luxurious, custom-rebuilt vintage Defenders and classic Range Rovers, announces the completion of two jaw-dropping, Tesla-powered electric Defender 110s. These 25-year-old U.K.-imported work vehicles underwent E.C.D.’s detailed customization journey, personalized down to the color of the upholstery stitching and restored from the ground up with a modern electric engine and quality upgrades – all while preserving each old Defender’s nostalgic look. Reborn as Project Britton and Project Morpheus, these refined, one-of-a-kind classic Defenders are the first of their make to be fully rebuilt in-house on U.S. soil. A true performance luxury vehicle, both custom Defenders sport a 450 horsepower Tesla engine that can reach 0-60 mph in five seconds and drive for over 220 miles on a five-hour charge.