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AI Messaging for EV Buyers
The previously reported Predicta’s Amplified Intelligence engine established that environmental topics aren’t relevant enough to move the needle with potential EV buyers. Now Predicta’s AI illustrates what messages CAN make a difference.
First, context about how consumers make decisions. In 1972, Dr. Darrel Edwards, co-founder of research firm Strategic Vision, discovered a universal equation for human behavior and used it to develop ValueCentered Psychology®. It has five sequential components and applies to how consumers feel about experiences, products, brands, or other people. These components are, in order:
Security: The trust, comfort, confidence, and safety we feel
Freedom: With ample Security comes Freedom – both Freedom TO explore, live, or be ourselves and freedom FROM hassle, stress, or worry
Esteem: The degree to which – and the ways in which – we feel good about ourselves
Harmony: Self-actualization and personal fulfillment
Love: With the previous four components fulfilled, the love we have for that experience, product, brand, or person flourishes
Overlaying these components on Predicta’s EV data set, the AI found that EV marketers should communicate top-of-mind topics that reinforce Security (reliability, safety) and Freedom (charging hassle, range anxiety, cost) instead of environmental benefits.
Here are three topics that resonate with consumers as identified by Predicta’s Amplified Intelligence:
Reliability/Quality (mentioned 3.0 times more often than environmental topics): Marketers should emphasize that there are fewer things that can go wrong with an EV to strand drivers on the side of the road and cost and time savings can be gained in EVs needing less maintenance.
Performance (2.4 times more often): Consumers love the Freedom experienced with an EV’s power and acceleration and feel the Security of performance improving active safety.
Charging (2.3 times more often): Consumers talk about how refueling at home is convenient and less expensive, enhancing Freedom. This will increase as charging infrastructure proliferates across parking garages and shopping centers.
Super Fast Charging for AMP Racing
Atlanta Motorsports Park (AMP) now sets the standard for high-performance Electric Vehicle (EV) fast chargers in the United States.
In partnership with Indigo Energy, AMP has become the first race track in the USA to install five brand-new Autel MaxiCharger DC Fast Level 3 Chargers. These EV “superchargers” offer up to 180kW of charging, providing up to 125 miles of range in 10min with a maximum 400A output current. A total charge requires just 20 – 30 minutes for most vehicles.
Located close to member garages, the five Autel MaxiCharger DC Fast charging stations provide ease-of-access when both coming to and getting off the track. Manufacturer Autel promises that the chargers will provide continued software compatibility with new vehicles, and the chargers are already compatible with all vehicles of IEC standards.
The addition of the chargers is just the latest move AMP has made in an effort to act as a pioneer to EV motorsports. Looking to the future, the track anticipates that many states could soon follow California’s lead, with plans to phase out the sale of internal combustion vehicles totally or completely within the next 50 years. Many AMP members have been early adopters of EV powertrains, with some banding together to form EV-focused garages specifically designed to bring the most performance out of any electric vehicle. They even retrofit popular vehicle models, like the Toyota 86, to an all-electric powertrain!
As more organizations and consumers move toward the use of electric vehicles, track-testing EVs becomes all-the-more important for both the evolution of racing culture and public feedback for manufacturer R&D. AMP’s adoption of the world-class standard in EV charging acts as an important step towards encouraging the transition towards something new — while leaving the passion and legacy of racing fully intact.
AAG Advancements
The transportation industry is currently in hot pursuit of an answer: How do we respond immediately to the urgent demand for new technology for electric vehicles (EV)? Amsted Automotive Group (AAG) and its companies are responding now to the need for EV propulsion systems optimized for function, range, and cost. AAG has driven the EV market with its advancements, including a Novel Multi-Functional Clutch Technology that can be found in current production pickup trucks. Their innovative Dynamic Controllable Clutch (DCC) and Electro-Mechanical E-axle Disconnect System improves the efficiency of electric all-wheel drive (eAWD) vehicles.
A new white paper called “Novel Multi-Functional Clutch Technology for Seamless EV Driveline Disconnect and Improved Efficiency” further details these innovations from Amsted Automotive and is available to download at AmstedAuto.com. The white paper annotates the evolution of the clutch technology and highlights the differences between AWD and EV AWD powertrains, and how to address those related challenges. With these tangible solutions, automakers can profitably meet the growing demand of the EV market.
With this transition to EV powertrains comes the opportunity for automakers to rethink traditional AWD architecture. Without the need to physically connect the front and rear drive axles, parasitic losses can be significantly reduced, and packaging issue are simplified. Means Industries, an Amsted Automotive company, developed Novel Multi-Functional Clutch Technology. This is a controllable disconnect clutch and actuation technology with full disconnect and locking functions, with additional functionality for controlled bi-directional one-way-clutch operation. This enables eAWDs to quickly and reliably shift between disconnected, forward propulsion, and regen or reverse modes. An EV can realize up to 10% efficiency gains simply, as well as eliminate the possibility of blocked or rejected shifts.
Ascend Elements Opens Recycling in GA
Ascend Elements celebrated the grand opening of its first commercial-scale lithium-ion battery recycling facility this week. Located in Covington, Georgia, the $50 million Base 1 facility is North America’s largest electric vehicle battery recycling facility. As demand for electric vehicles increases, lithium-ion battery recycling is becoming an increasingly important part of the EV battery materials supply chain.
Ascend Elements recovers up to 98% of the critical battery metals in used electric vehicle batteries and gigafactory manufacturing scrap. By recycling used lithium-ion batteries and scrap with its patented Hydro-to-Cathode™ process, Ascend Elements can reduce the carbon footprint of new electric vehicle battery cathode materials by up to 90%.
The ultra-clean and efficient facility is powered by renewable energy and features onsite wastewater recycling and treatment systems. The facility currently employs about 100 team members, and the company plans to increase headcount to 185 by 2024.
Over 100 Nikola Orders
At today’s Automotive Press Association meeting in Detroit, Nikola Corporation (Nasdaq: NKLA), a global leader in zero-emissions transportation and energy supply and infrastructure solutions, via the HYLA brand, announced that Nikola and its dealer network have received orders for 100 Class 8 Nikola Tre hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). Deliveries of the purpose-built heavy-duty trucks will begin in Q4 2023.
“We believe Nikola is the only company in the U.S. with a Class 8 hydrogen FCEV available in calendar year 2023, engineered and assembled in the U.S., as well as a variety of upcoming hydrogen energy solutions,” said Michael Lohscheller, Nikola’s President and CEO. “Customers are recognizing this and are demanding zero-emissions trucking solutions to fulfill their shipping needs and to meet their environmental, social and governance goals. And it will have quite an effect, as one heavy-duty zero-emission truck equates to removing 23 gasoline-powered passenger cars from the road in annual CO2 emissions.”
With a range of up to 500 miles and an estimated fueling time of approximately 20 minutes based upon expected technology improvements, the Nikola Tre FCEV is anticipated to have among the longest ranges of all commercially available zero tailpipe emission Class 8 trucks. The Tre FCEV is well-suited for a variety of applications ranging from drayage and intermodal to metro-regional truckload and less than truckload and specialized hauling use cases.
The California Air Resources Board (“CARB”) Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (“HVIP”) program, played a significant role in securing many of the 100 sale orders that are expected to convert to purchase orders following the satisfactory completion of the demonstration programs.
The HVIP program enables customers of Nikola’s Tre FCEV to access a point-of-sale incentive starting at $240,000 and ranging up to $288,000 per truck, in 2023. Customers will also be eligible for a $40,000 clean commercial vehicle tax credit from the federal government due to the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act.
California’s HVIP is an important incentive program intended to advance commercialization and to help reduce the total cost of ownership of hybrid and zero-emission commercial vehicles in the state of California. The program is unique in that it accelerates the adoption of zero tailpipe emission commercial vehicles on a first-come, first-served basis that does not require the retirement and scrappage of an existing diesel vehicle.
“This 100 sale order milestone is certainly something to celebrate and shows the commitment of our customers, dealers, employees and stakeholders,” continued Lohscheller. “And this is expected to be the first of many upcoming announcements.”
EverCharge 10 Year Parts
EverCharge, a leading provider of large-scale electric vehicle (EV) charging devices and management systems, formally announced its ten-year Endurance Program. As part of EverCharge’s commitment to sustainability, the program guarantees access to the necessary components to maintain EverCharge’s commercial Level 2 (L2) charging stations for 10 years.
EverCharge designs and manufactures its own hardware to provide an unparalleled level of quality and supply chain control, and is proud to be one of the few companies to manufacture its charging products in North America at its factory in Hayward, CA. The vertical integration is the basis of the Endurance Program, allowing EverCharge to maintain a strict level of inventory control to ensure the parts needed to maintain and service an EverCharge unit will always be available.
The Endurance Program will allow EverCharge’s customers to have the replacement parts of their commercial L2 stations shipped directly to the site to be serviced in the field. Or, the customer will have the option to send the unit back to EverCharge for servicing in-house. Replaceable parts of the units include cables, electrical components, and the enclosure. The enclosure is made mostly from aluminum, adding to the sustainable life cycle of the product.
J.D. Power Partners with Motorq for EV Battery Info
J.D. Power, a global leader in data analytics and consumer intelligence, and Motorq, the leading connected vehicle analytics and infrastructure company, have announced a strategic alliance to provide the automotive industry with insights based on connected vehicle data. The first product from the alliance will measure real-world electric vehicle (EV) battery health. Using data provided by the vehicle itself, in close collaboration with the manufacturers, J.D. Power and Motorq will provide EV owners and potential buyers with an independent measurement of the health of that vehicle’s EV battery, compared with its stated health when new. Individual vehicles that achieve a pre-specified score will receive a J.D. Power validation that will give potential buyers confidence in the health of the EV battery.
“EV shoppers have concerns about range and battery longevity,” said Dave Sargent, vice president and head of connected vehicles at J.D. Power. “For used EVs, the range can be affected by a number of factors including how the vehicle has been driven and charged, and the temperature where it is being operated. By measuring the precise state of health of an individual EV battery over time, J.D. Power and Motorq will provide transparency into an area where it is difficult for the consumer to make their own assessment. This information will give used EV shoppers greater confidence that they are buying a high-quality vehicle at a fair price.”
“The most useful way of measuring the health of an EV battery is to see how it performs in the real world,” said Arun Rajagopalan, co-founder and CEO of Motorq. “We have developed a capability that leverages thousands of data points a day from each vehicle, takes account of different operating conditions and provides a normalized assessment of the true health of each individual vehicle’s battery.”
J.D. Power and Motorq will use thousands of measurements taken from the vehicle over time to assess how an individual EV battery is performing. The two companies are in active discussions with vehicle manufacturers and other industry participants to bring empirical EV battery health to the marketplace.
RoyPow Truck Electric ESS
RoyPow, a global renewable energy and battery systems supplier, debuted All Electric Truck Energy Storage System at the Mid-America Trucking Show – the largest annual trade show dedicated to the heavy-duty trucking industry in the USA. RoyPow’s Truck Energy Storage System (Truck ESS) is an environmentally clean, safe and reliable one-stop solution that delivers truck drivers ultimate comfort by converting their sleeper cab into a home-like truck cab.
Unlike the traditional diesel-powered APUs running on noisy generators which require regular maintenance or AGM battery-powered APUs which need frequent battery replacement, RoyPow’s Truck ESS is a 48V all-electric system powered by LiFePO4 lithium batteries, offering long-haul truck drivers quieter in-cab comfort (≤35 dB noise level), longer run-time (14+ hours) without excessive engine wear or tractor idling. Since there is no diesel engine, RoyPow’s Truck ESS significantly lowers operating costs by reducing fuel consumption and minimizing maintenance.
The whole system is comprised of a variable-speed HVAC, a LiFePO4 battery pack, an intelligent alternator, a DC-DC converter, an optional solar panel, as well as an optional all-in-one inverter (inverter + charger + MPPT). By capturing energy from the truck’s alternator or solar panel and then storing in the lithium batteries, this integrated system is able to provide both AC and DC power to run the air conditioner and other high power accessories such as a coffee maker, electric stove, etc. The shore power option can also be utilized when it is available from an external source at truck stops or service areas.
As an “engine-off and anti-idling” product, RoyPow’s all electric lithium system is environmentally friendly and sustainable by eliminating emissions, complying with the anti-idle and anti-emission regulations nationwide, which include the California Air Resources Board (CARB) requirements, formulated to protect human health and to address air pollution in the state.
In addition to being “green” and “quieter” the system is also “smarter” as it enables remote monitoring and control. Drivers can remotely turn on / off the HVAC system or manage energy usage from mobile phones anytime, anywhere. Wi-Fi hotspots are also available to deliver the best internet experience for truck drivers. To withstand standard road conditions like vibration and shocks, the system is ISO12405-2 certified. The ESS is also IP65 rated, giving users more peace of mind in extreme weather conditions.
The all electric lithium system also provides 12,000 BTU / Cooling capacity, ＞15 EER high efficiency, 1 – 2 hours fast charging, can be installed in as little as 2 hours, comes standard with a 5 Year Warranty for core components and finally unmatched support backed by a worldwide service network.
“We are not doing things the same way as the traditional APU, we are trying to solve current APU shortcomings with our innovative one-stop system. This renewable Truck ESS will significantly improve the drivers work environment and quality of life on the road, as well as reducing Total Cost of Ownership for the truck owners.” Said Michael Li, Vice President at RoyPow Technology.////
Cenntro Starts LS400 Teemak Production
Cenntro Electric Group Limited (NASDAQ: CENN), a leading EV technology company with advanced, market-validated electric commercial vehicles, announced the start of production of the LS400, Teemak and Metro electric commercial trucks at the Company’s new assembly facility in Jacksonville, FL.
Operations at the facility will include electric vehicle assembly, upfitting, and pre-delivery inspections. The new facility joins the recently expanded assembly facility in Howell, NJ.
Vehicles assembled at the Jacksonville facility are predominantly for the Southeastern region of the US and for the Central American region. Cenntro expects to begin delivery of vehicles assembled at the Jacksonville facility to customers next month.
Sayona & Piedmont Project in Quebec
–North American lithium producer Sayona Mining Limited (“Sayona”) (ASX:SYA; OTCQB:SYAXF) and Piedmont Lithium Inc. (“Piedmont” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq:PLL; ASX:PLL), a leading global developer of lithium resources, today announced the successful restart of commercial spodumene concentrate production at the jointly-owned North American Lithium (“NAL”) project in Quebec. The $US80 million restart of NAL was completed on time and on budget and is the only major source of new spodumene production expected in North America in the next two years. Sayona is targeting 226,000 metric tons per year of annual production with first commercial shipments expected in Q3 2023.
Cobalt for GM
PT Vale Indonesia Tbk and China’s Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt Co. today announced an agreement with global automaker Ford Motor Co., creating a three-party collaboration to advance more sustainable nickel production in Indonesia and help make electric vehicle batteries more affordable.
All three companies are making equity investments in the Pomalaa Block High-Pressure Acid Leaching (HPAL) Project through a definitive agreement celebrated today at a ceremony featuring Indonesia President Joko Widodo.
ZEVX Distributed by Pritchard
Pritchard Commercial, an industry leader in commercial and fleet vehicle sales, is excited to announce a distribution partnership with ZEVX™, Inc., the worldwide leader in intelligent EV systems. Through this partnership, Pritchard Commercial may now begin nationally selling ZEVX’s series of premier battery electric powertrain and power system products. This allows traditional Class 2-5 commercial and fleet vehicles to upgrade to zero carbon EVs.
ZEVX is a rapid innovator in battery electric power systems and data intelligence for e-mobility applications. The company has a series of premier battery electric powertrain and power system products that quickly migrate Class 2-5 commercial fleet assets and auxiliary power tools to zero carbon. ZEVX’s platinum service mission starts with customers, operating through a deep partner network using existing automotive service infrastructure and tier 1 fleet management companies (FMCs).
ANSI Standards for EVs
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) released today for public review and comment a draft of the Roadmap of Standards and Codes for Electric Vehicles at Scale developed by the Institute’s Electric Vehicles Standards Panel (EVSP). The roadmap identifies key safety, performance, and interoperability issues; notes relevant published and in-development standards; and makes recommendations to address gaps in codes and standards. This includes recommending pre-standardization research and development (R&D) where needed. It also proposes prioritized timeframes for when standardization work should occur and standards developing organizations (SDOs) or others that may be able to lead such work. Working groups have been developing the draft roadmap since a kickoff event held in June 2022.
The request for comment specifically invites comments that represent critical revisions and needed clarifications on the roadmap content. Comments on the draft roadmap may be submitted to evsp@ansi.org by close of business on Monday, May 1, 2023. Use of the comment form (see below) is required to better manage and review comments. The EVSP working groups are currently on hiatus and will reconvene in May to address the comments submitted and finalize the document for publication by the end of June 2023. While all comments are welcome, the EVSP reserves the right to hold disposition of comments in reserve for a future iteration of the document if they cannot be addressed within the time available. This might include, for example, comments on the document’s organization, or issues not addressed.
The draft roadmap and related materials may be downloaded as follows:
- Working Draft Roadmap of Standards and Codes for Electric Vehicles at Scale (152 page pdf file)
- Instructions for Using Comment Form (pdf file)
- Comment Form (required) (Excel file). When accessing the comment form, you may be prompted for credentials; just hit “Cancel” one or more times to download and open the document
Building on ANSI EVSP roadmaps developed in the 2011-14 timeframe, the draft document seeks to describe the current and desired future standardization landscape that will support and facilitate EVs at scale. The roadmap’s primary focus is on light duty, on-road plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) that are recharged via a connection to the electrical grid, as well as the supporting charging infrastructure needed to power them. Medium and heavy-duty EVs are also covered. Topics covered include standards to address high power DC charging, storage (i.e., microgrid, distributed energy resource management systems) integrated with DC charging, vehicle grid integration, high power scalable/interoperable wireless charging, and vehicle-oriented systems. The broad target audience includes vehicle manufacturers, entities that will be installing and operating charging infrastructure; SDOs; U.S. federal, state, and municipal government agencies; electric utilities; and others.
To advance the Biden Administration’s goal for a clean energy future, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) issued a June 2021 lab call funding opportunity announcement. The lab call included a pillar on codes and standards with the goal to “identify and address challenges and barriers to the integration of EVs@Scale charging with the grid created by uncoordinated development of codes and standards and the rapid advances in vehicle and charging technologies.” An EVs@Scale lab consortium was formed in response with Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) as the lead lab for the codes and standards pillar supported by other national labs. The consortium committed to develop a 2022 roadmap like earlier roadmaps developed by the ANSI EVSP.
The EVs@Scale effort supports funding initiatives associated with deploying a nationwide EV charging infrastructure, including the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, which provides $5 billion in Federal money to that end. As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Federal Highway Administration was directed to release a set of minimum standards and requirements for the implementation of the NEVI program. The NEVI Final Rule was issued on February 28, 2023, and appropriate references are included in the EVSP roadmap.
ANSI serves as administrator and coordinator of the U.S. private-sector voluntary standardization system. As a neutral facilitator, the Institute has a successful track record of convening stakeholders from the public and private sectors to define standardization needs for emerging technologies and to address national and global priorities. The ANSI EVSP is a cross-sector coordinating body whose objective is to foster coordination and collaboration on standardization matters among public- and private-sector stakeholders to enable the safe, mass deployment of electric vehicles and associated infrastructure in the United States with international coordination, adaptability, and engagement.The ANSI EVSP does not develop standards. Rather, it serves as a forum for facilitating coordination among SDOs and others. ANSI’s facilitation of the EVSP is supported in part by VTO/ANL and UL Standards & Engagement.
“Standards and related conformity assessment programs have an important role to play in advancing electric vehicle technologies. ANSI invites all affected stakeholders, regardless of geographic location, to review the draft roadmap and make their views known,” said S. Joe Bhatia, ANSI president and CEO.
For more information, visit the EVSP webpage www.ansi.org/evsp or reach out to ANSI staff: Jim McCabe, senior director, standards facilitation (jmccabe@ansi.org; 212-642-8921), or Christine Bernat, associate director, standards facilitation (cbernat@ansi.org; 212-642-8919).