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Stellantis & DTE Energy Solar Projects in Michigan
Stellantis and DTE Energy announced a clean energy commitment to add 400 megawatts of new solar projects in Michigan – enough clean energy to power approximately 130,000 homes annually – through DTE’s MIGreenPower voluntary renewable energy program. The clean energy commitment is the second largest renewable energy purchase ever made in the U.S. from a utility1 and will avoid more than 670,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually2.
Earlier this year, Stellantis announced aggressive goals to achieve carbon net zero globally by 2038 as part of its Dare Forward 2030 strategic plan, beginning by cutting CO2 emissions in half by the end of the decade, using 2021 metrics as the benchmark. The company’s push to net zero addresses all sources of greenhouse gas emissions, from vehicles to supply chain to industrial sites, with energy efficiency being a cornerstone of Stellantis’ approach.
With its participation in MIGreenPower, Stellantis will be able to attribute 100% of its electricity use at 70 southeast Michigan sites (manufacturing and non-manufacturing) to solar by 2026, which will reduce the company’s carbon emissions in North America by 50% and across its manufacturing facilities by 30%.
Albemarle Corporation Readies Charlotte NC Site for Li-On Batteries
Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB), a leader in the global specialty chemicals industry, announced it has acquired a location in Charlotte, North Carolina, where it will invest at least $180 million to establish the Albemarle Technology Park (ATP), a world-class facility designed for novel materials research, advanced process development, and acceleration of next-generation lithium products to market. The company anticipates that innovations from the new site will enhance lithium recovery, improve production methods, and introduce new forms of lithium to enable breakthrough levels of battery performance.
ElectraMeccanica’s Factory in Mesa Almost Ready
ElectraMeccanica Vehicles Corp. (NASDAQ: SOLO) (“ElectraMeccanica” or the “Company”), a designer and manufacturer of electric vehicles revolutionizing the urban driving experience, together with Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, Mesa Mayor John Giles, the City of Mesa, the Arizona Commerce Authority, local officials and community leaders held a commissioning ceremony today for ElectraMeccanica’s nearly-completed manufacturing facility in Mesa, Arizona. The new plant represents a major step for ElectraMeccanica as a business, delivering on its commitment to officially establish the company as an American OEM by the end of 2022 and will serve as the company’s new headquarters.
ElectraMeccanica will ultimately have the capacity to produce up to 20,000 vehicles per year in its 235,000-square-foot facility located near the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport at 8127 E. Ray Road, Mesa, Arizona. The campus will also be the home to the company’s first U.S.-based engineering technical center, including 22,000-square-feet of office space and 19,000-square-feet of lab space. The company has already activated certain functions, and with this commissioning, it has completed several of the necessary steps to begin ramping up full production. In the medium term, the Company expects to create 200 – 500 jobs in manufacturing, engineering, technology, and more. Currently, the company is licensed to sell its flagship three-wheeled, one-seater, all-electric vehicle, the SOLO and SOLO Cargo, in California and Arizona.
Panasonic to Supply Batteries for Lucid Air & Gravity
Panasonic Energy Co., Ltd., a Panasonic Group company, and Lucid Group, Inc (NASDAQ: LCID) today announced they have entered into multi-year agreements to supply batteries for Lucid’s award-winning luxury electric vehicle, Lucid Air, the fastest-charging, longest range EV on the market, and Lucid’s upcoming Gravity SUV. The agreement marks another milestone in Panasonic’s plans to expand production of lithium-ion EV batteries beyond Japan and into the U.S. with production coming from both a facility in Japan, as well as expected future production from its recently announced battery production facility in De Soto, Kansas.
Modine Thermal Management Tech for New Flyer of America
As health and environmental concerns accelerate the shift to zero-emission technologies, Modine Manufacturing Company (NYSE: MOD, “Modine” or the “Company”), a diversified global leader in thermal management technology and solutions, announced that leading global bus manufacturer, New Flyer of America Inc. (New Flyer), has selected the Company’s EVantage Battery Thermal Management System (BTMS) in New Flyer’s zero-emission Xcelsior CHARGE NG™ heavy-duty transit bus model. New Flyer is a subsidiary of NFI Group Inc. (NFI), a leading independent bus and coach manufacturer and a leader in electric mass mobility solutions.
Introduced early in 2021, the Xcelsior CHARGE NG™ bus incorporates three distinct technological advancements, including high-energy batteries that extend range up to 13%, advanced protective battery packaging for easy installation and simpler serviceability, and a new lightweight electric traction drive system with up to 90% energy recovery. Modine worked closely with the New Flyer design team to ensure that the EVantage BTMS integrates seamlessly with their high-energy Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) batteries to provide safe, robust, and reliable use in transportation. Delivering the best balance of energy storage, power, and safety, the combination of New Flyer’s NMC technology and the EVantage BTMS helps to deliver dependable mobility to avoid roadside breakdowns in harsh environments and extended range and optimize battery life.
Mullen Partners with Loop Global for Charging
Mullen Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: MULN) (“Mullen” or the “Company”), an emerging electric vehicle (“EV”) manufacturer, announces today that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Loop Global Inc. (“Loop”), a full-service EV charging solution provider, to build the next generation of public and private EV charging technology, infrastructure and network solutions.
The partnership will combine Mullen Automotive’s expertise in electric vehicle design and engineering with Loop’s expertise in electric vehicle charging infrastructure to offer a comprehensive solution for businesses, municipalities and residential EV drivers looking to deploy seamless and reliable EV charging stations.
Mullen EV Charging Network Powered by Loop will support both level 2 and level 3 DC fast charging. The turnkey solution will include everything from site assessment and design to installation and ongoing operation. It will also feature cutting-edge technology such as fast-charging capabilities and smart charging technology.
In addition, the companies are teaming up to finance and/or own and operate EV charging infrastructure through Loop’s unique financing program, called the Loop Impact Fund. Further, Loop-as-a-Service (“LaaS”) payment options provide Mullen EV Charging Network customers with a no Capex budget solution for the turnkey installation of EV charging infrastructure at $0 down, utilizing a portion of the estimated monthly charging revenue to pay for the upgrades over a fixed term.
EV Connect Improves EV Experience
To ensure reliable EV charging for the estimated 10.6 million new EVs sold in 2022, EV Connect, a company dedicated to electric vehicle (EV) charging management solutions, announced sweeping enhancements to its product and service lines. With these innovations, EV Connect further improves the EV charging experience for site owners, network operators, and EV drivers. These innovations are the capstone to a year during which EV Connect saved drivers over 900,000 gallons of gasoline, powered more than 38,000,000 electric miles, and kept more than 8,000,000 kilograms of greenhouse gasses from release into the atmosphere.
In addition to expanded partnerships with hardware companies and utilities, growth in customer installations, new product releases, and an acquisition by Schneider Electric, EV Connect now also offers:
- Products and services tailored to maximize EV Connect platform features, including monthly bundled charging, which simplifies payments for EV drivers at multifamily properties and workplaces, as well as the expansion of its premium warranty offering through the Shield program for L2 and DCFC charging stations.
- A utility-specific management console that provides high-resolution insights into station use and health metrics, as well as a partner-specific management console for value-added resellers and installer partners.
- Powerful additions to the EV Connect API platform to accelerate charging app creation and integration, including an API Sandbox, virtual station simulator, and the ability for enterprise customers to integrate their own payment gateway.
- Value-added features to help customers drive utilization of their stations, including EVouchers that customize discounts, couponing for drivers and businesses, as well as shared roaming capabilities to increase visibility of available stations.
- Expansion of Fleet Charging Management Platform to improve depot and home charging capabilities, enhance energy efficiency and management, and provide full-stack vehicle telematics data, Voyager fuel card integration for on-route charging, and at-home charging tracking capabilities for simpler reimbursement processes.
“Advanced charging management software is essential to support the growing number of EVs on the road, and we are providing site owners and charging networks the power to integrate EV charging into their business models,” said Jordan Ramer, CEO at EV Connect. “We introduced a wealth of advancements in 2022 because we leverage a growing base of real-world data and customer inputs to improve our offerings.”