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NACS for Subaru EVS
Subaru of America, Inc. announced that its parent company, Subaru Corporation, reached an agreement with Tesla, Inc. to adopt the North American Charging Standard (NACS) for the charging ports of its battery electric vehicles (BEVs) to be launched in North America beginning in 2025.
To provide customers with access to the extensive Tesla charging network, Subaru will adopt NACS ports on certain Subaru BEVs launched in North America beginning in 2025 and will continue to advance NACS adoption for its subsequent BEVs to be launched after that.
Additionally, Subaru plans to provide access to an adapter enabling NACS charging from 2025 for customers owning or leasing applicable Subaru BEVs equipped with the Combined Charging System (CCS). Customers of NACS-compatible Subaru BEVs will gain access to more than 15,000 Tesla Superchargers across North America, significantly enhancing charging convenience.
Toyotoa Invests in TBMNC
Toyota announced a new investment of nearly $8 billion that will add approximately 3,000 jobs at Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina (TBMNC). This brings total investment to approximately $13.9 billion and job creation to more than 5,000 – further supporting Toyota’s multi-pathway approach to global vehicle electrification.
This investment adds capacity to support battery electric vehicles (BEV’s) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV’s). An additional eight BEV/PHEV battery production lines will be added to the two previously announced, for a total of ten battery lines. Production will be increased in a phased approach, with line launches planned through 2030 to reach a total production of more than 30GWh annually.
“Today’s announcement reinforces Toyota’s commitment to electrification and carbon reduction, bringing jobs and future economic growth to the region,” said Sean Suggs, president of Toyota North Carolina. “We are excited to see the continued energy and support of this innovative manufacturing facility.”
In 2021, Toyota, in partnership with Toyota Tsusho, announced the new Liberty location with an initial investment of $1.29 billion for battery production and the creation of 1,750 new jobs. With today’s announcement, Toyota North Carolina solidifies its position as the company’s epicenter of lithium-ion battery production in North America. Overall, the campus will boast seven million square feet, equating to 121 football fields of battery production.
“Through the last few years of building relationships, including my most recent trip to Tokyo and meeting with President Sato, our partnership with Toyota has become stronger than ever, culminating in this historic announcement,” said North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper. “North Carolina’s transition to a clean energy economy is bringing better paying jobs that will support our families and communities for decades to come.”
A pioneer in electrified vehicles, Toyota has put more than 24.6 million hybrid, plug-in hybrid, fuel cell and battery electric vehicles on the road globally. By 2025, the company plans to have an electrified option available for every Toyota and Lexus model globally.
The company is steadfast in its promise of being best-in-town by supporting local nonprofits and education initiatives. This year, Toyota announced donations totaling $200,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Asheboro and Greensboro, Junior Achievement of the Triad, Shift_ed and Volunteer Center of the Triad. Last year, the company announced a $1 million investment in North Carolina students enrolled with Communities in Schools Randolph County and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.
GreenPower Shows Mega BEAST
GreenPower Motor Company Inc. (Nasdaq: GP) (TSXV: GPV) (“GreenPower”), a leading manufacturer and distributor of purpose-built, all-electric, zero-emission medium and heavy-duty vehicles serving the cargo and delivery market, shuttle and transit space and school bus sector, unveiled the Mega BEAST. This newest version of GreenPower’s all-electric Type D school bus provides double the range with the same functionality as GreenPower’s trusted and reliable BEAST all-electric school bus that is deployed in school bus fleets across the country.
GreenPower’s Mega BEAST is a 40-foot Type D all-electric, purpose-built, zero-emission school bus that delivers a class-leading range of up to 300 miles on a single charge via a 387 kWh battery pack. It provides for the longest range and has the biggest battery pack in the school bus market. The Mega BEAST can seat up to 90 passengers with standard features that include air ride suspension, ABS disk brakes and largest pass-through storage available. Featuring a modern monocoque chassis, the Mega BEAST is the safest, most durable and reliable all-electric school bus available today. Its seamlessly integrated aluminum body and chassis design forms a composite structure which is the GreenPower Truss(T) factor.
“The all-electric, purpose-built BEAST has established the new standard of performance, safety and sustainability in the school bus market. Today with the introduction of the Mega BEAST, GreenPower also sets a new industry standard in range and battery size,” said Michael Perez, GreenPower’s Vice President of School Bus, Contracts and Grants. “The extended range of the Mega BEAST will help more school districts make the switch from NOx-emitting diesel buses to the GreenPower all-electric, zero-emission option that provides a safer, cleaner and healthier ride for school kids.”
Unveiled today at the National Association of Pupil Transportation’s (NAPT) Conference and Trade Show in Columbus, Ohio, the Mega BEAST is designed to provide the answer for longer range routes and other desired uses by a school district. The extended range created by the larger battery pack is an ideal solution for many rural school districts with longer routes, school districts with less chance for mid-day opportunity charging, school districts that face extreme weather conditions and schools that also use the all-electric bus for extra-curricular activities.
“Before now, there was not a vehicle on the market that offered these longer-range capabilities. The Mega BEAST sets a new benchmark in the industry by addressing the needs and filling the gap in the current market where longer range all-electric school buses are required,” said GreenPower President Brendan Riley. “All-in-all the Mega BEAST is the same class leading vehicle as the BEAST just with a bigger battery, more range and more uphill climbing power.”
Riley also noted that the larger battery size of the Mega BEAST is desirable for V2G applications where there is a need to use the battery as energy storage and not just for transportation purposes. “V2G is becoming a common-sense tool that helps to create a more reliable grid, promote clean energy and reduce costs. The larger battery of the Mega BEAST has the ability to provide for a more healthy and stable electric grid and community stability in areas where it is deployed and V2G is used,” he said.
The Mega BEAST joins GreenPower’s award-winning line-up of all-electric, purpose-built, zero-emission school buses including the Type D BEAST and the award-winning Type A Nano BEAST. It will be manufactured in the US at GreenPower’s facilities in both California and South Charleston, West Virginia beginning in 2024.
StoreDot Success
StoreDot, the pioneer in extreme fast charging battery technology for electric vehicles, has confirmed that its silicon dominant extreme fast charging (XFC) battery cells have successfully passed an extended set of charging profile tests.
The results show that consecutive extreme fast charging conditions did not degrade StoreDot’s cells, even after 1000 consecutive XFC cycles – a result that proves the unique characteristics of StoreDot’s 100in5 technology.
In full cycle charge tests, emulating real-world use case, XFC was applied from 10% to 80% of the charge in 10 minutes, with the remaining charging cycle from 0-10% and 80-100% performed with slower (1C) charging. In parallel, these silicon battery cells were also tested for full slow charging cycles from 0% to 100%, and also achieved a similar cycle life performance.
Despite each cycle applying XFC for most of the charge (i.e., 70%), the cells demonstrated no additional degradation — a result that is on a par with cells that were slow charged from 0-100%, emulating the common use case of levels 1 or 2 charging.
Today’s milestone reaffirms StoreDot’s commitment to deliver an extreme fast charging battery solution that eliminates range and charging anxiety with the ability to extreme fast charge every time. The landmark also further enhances its path to EV OEM commercialization and advances its mission to be the category leader in faster, safer and worry-free EV charging.
Dr Doron Myersdorf, StoreDot CEO “This remarkable accomplishment underscores our commitment to developing cutting-edge technology that is not only extremely fast but also highly durable. The tests safely delivered the charging speed that consumers demand with the best range, whilst preserving the longevity of the vehicle’s battery cells — a crucial combination in reducing users’ anxiety for achieving widespread adoption of EVs.
“The significance of testing our silicon-batteries under various use-case conditions demonstrates our battery’s robustness regardless of drivers’ charging habits, recharging frequency, or charger power. StoreDot is proud to spearhead battery technology advancements that accelerate mass EV adoption worldwide by giving drivers a seamless and routine worry -free extreme fast charging experience.”
StoreDot’s commitment to innovation and collaboration is being demonstrated through its rapidly growing global network of strategic partnerships with investors, leading EV OEMs, and manufacturing partners. Global automotive and EV manufacturers like Daimler, Ola Electric, Polestar, VinFast, and Volvo Cars are already key strategic partners and investors of the company.
Recently StoreDot reported strong performance feedback for the evaluation and integration of A-Samples testing phase of its XFC EV battery cells. The comprehensive testing programs took place earlier this year with 15 leading global automotive brand manufacturers from Europe, Asia, and the US, as well as several of StoreDot’s strategic ecosystem partners, with many of them now moving onto B-Sample and EV integration programs.
Wallbox Bidirectional Energizes
Wallbox (NYSE:WBX) a global leader in electric vehicle (EV) charging and energy management solutions, announced a partnership with Bidirectional Energy, a bidirectional EV energy management software platform, that has culminated in both companies being selected to receive significant funding from the highly competitive CEC REDWDS grant. The companies plan to offer Wallbox’s second-generation DC bidirectional charger, Quasar 2, with the Bidirectional Energy EV charger management platform, starting in the first half of 2024.
The California Energy Commission’s (CEC) Clean Transportation Program provides up to $100 million in annual funding to support innovation and accelerate the development and deployment of advanced transportation and fuel technologies throughout the state. The REDWDS (Responsive, Easy Charging Products with Dynamic Signals) grant accelerates the development and deployment of easy-to-use charging products, which helps customers manage electric vehicle (EV) charging and respond to dynamic grid signals.
In a highly competitive process, Bidirectional Energy and Wallbox have been proposed recipients for awards of $2.2M in Phase 1 funding by the CEC Clean Transportation Program. When the awards are confirmed, the partnership between Bidirectional Energy and Wallbox will be able to deploy Quasar 2 bidirectional chargers in California residential homes, as well as offer installation solutions via COIL, a Wallbox company. Through the Bidirectional Energy platform, EV owners can potentially save money on their monthly utility bill as well as benefit from various utilities’ vehicle-to-grid programs, all while their EV is parked at home. The V2X (vehicle-to-everything) system can also keep the lights on when the grid goes down, providing extra resilience to homeowners. If the project is successful, additional funding will be made available through a second phase to continue deploying bidirectional chargers across California for an additional three years.
“We’re excited to work with Bidirectional Energy and the CEC to accelerate the development and deployment of bidirectional charging to quickly respond to dynamic grid signals. Bidirectional charging can offer long-term benefits to users, grid operators, and utilities and will accelerate the transition to California renewable energy sources,” said Brett Graessle, Wallbox VP of Global Partnerships and Business Development.
“Bidirectional EVs are critical to solving the massive scalability challenges facing the US electric grid. We are excited to partner with Wallbox to get bidirectional chargers installed in people’s homes, and help EV owners earn passive income by selling energy from their idle EV batteries. Together, we’ll leverage EVs to make our power grid more reliable and reduce total carbon emissions on the grid,” said Angela Zhang, CEO of Bidirectional Energy.
This project builds on Wallbox’s leadership in the bidirectional charging space. In July this year, Wallbox was selected to join the United States Department of Energy’s (DOE) Vehicle-to-Everything (“V2X”) Memorandum of Understanding as part of its latest round of signatories. The collaboration brings together cutting-edge resources from the DOE, DOE national labs, state and local governments, utilities and private entities to evaluate and accelerate technical and economic feasibility of vehicle-grid integration (VGI), including bidirectional charging, into energy infrastructure.
Quasar 2 is a next-generation 11.5kW bidirectional charger that will enable EV owners to charge and discharge their electric vehicle to power their home, vehicle-to-home (“V2H”) or send energy back to the grid, vehicle-to-grid (“V2G”). The partnership between Bidirectional Energy and Wallbox unlocks access to the V2G programs, providing additional revenue streams to EV owners. On average EVs can hold between 76 and 100kWh of energy, over 5x the amount of energy of a standard 13.5kWh home storage system, and power a typical household’s energy consumption for up to four days, removing the need for expensive home energy storage systems.
Quasar 2’s cutting edge innovation extends to its Power Recovery feature, which was designed specifically for the acute need for backup power, allowing users to transform their EV into a powerful generator in the event of a power outage or blackout. With the use of the Power Recovery Unit Quasar 2 automatically switches the user’s power source from the grid to their vehicle, providing a critical load to a home during a potential emergency.
This type of backup service is becoming not only increasingly important, but crucial, given the sheer volume and duration of power outages in the US. Last year, California alone witnessed 39 power outages and more than 414 hours of total outage time. Across the U.S., unforeseen power outages cost the U.S. economy $150 billion annually. This feature also illustrates that EV chargers can go beyond energy efficiency and grid services.
Wallbox estimates that Quasar 2 together with the Bidirectional Energy platform can potentially earn users yearly energy bill savings of over $1,000* when combined with utility Demand Response programs and time-of-use utility rates. By taking advantage of time-of-use utility rates in the U.S., users can enhance the impact of V2X technology by scheduling charging sessions when energy prices are low and discharging their cars to power their homes when prices are high. Users with solar panel installations can also store excess solar energy in their EV during low usage periods and then harness this energy at another time, including peak periods, to reduce their reliance on the grid and accelerate the uptake of renewable energy.
MBZ EV Charging & Simon Mixed Usage
Mercedes-Benz HPC North America LLC (Mercedes-Benz HPC NA) and Simon® announced a new, groundbreaking strategic relationship. Mercedes-Benz HPC NA is building a network of premium EV charging hubs in the US and Canada, and Simon® is a global leader in premier shopping, dining, entertainment and mixed-use destinations.
This agreement marks an exciting moment for both brands, each renowned for delivering unparalleled quality experiences to their customers. For Mercedes-Benz, this initiative further solidifies its commitment to support a high-quality charging experience for drivers of all EV brands that is fast, reliable, safe and close to attractive amenities. Further, this expansion of the Mercedes-Benz Charging Network to Simon locations will bring hundreds of construction jobs to the communities that they’re located in.
Andrew Cornelia, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz HPC North America LLC, expressed his enthusiasm for the alliance, stating, “We’re thrilled to announce this alliance with Simon, who has consistently set benchmarks in customer service delivering excellence in the retail experience across its properties nationwide. This collaboration underscores our commitment to delivering a high-quality charging experience to every driver – which extends beyond the vehicle and to the amenities and experiences that drivers can access while they charge.”
Chip Harding, Senior Vice President of Simon Media & Experiences is pleased with the addition of premier brand Mercedes-Benz to Simon’s EV charging providers, stating, “We are committed to building EV charging sites across the Simon portfolio. Moreover, we look forward to continuing that growth with Mercedes-Benz, a brand that shares our vision to deliver best-in-class experiences for customers and for the communities that we serve.”
Key takeaway from this strategic alliance is the integration of several key initiatives:
- Deployment of Mercedes-Benz branded EV fast chargers at no less than 55 Simon retail properties; and,
- Placement of Mercedes-Benz advertising across Simon’s out-of-home media infrastructure; and,
- Utilization of Simon centers for Mercedes-Benz vehicle launches, vehicle displays, and test-drive opportunities where drivers already go to shop, live, work and play.
This alliance represents one of Mercedes-Benz HPC NA’s initial steps towards fulfilling its promise of expanding the EV charging map in North America through a value-based approach. Mercedes-Benz HPC NA is building charging hubs where EV drivers are and where they want to travel, thus seamlessly integrating charging into EV drivers’ lives, ensuring that the brand’s legacy of quality meets the practical needs of today’s EV owners. And, this charging is done sustainably, using 100% clean energy.
Mercedes-Benz is continuously expanding public charging offerings to customers globally. Mercedes-Benz’s initiatives to establish a high-power charging infrastructure also include the Europe-wide fast-charging network joint venture IONITY, which already comprises around 3,000 charging points, and the recently established joint venture with six other automotive OEMs to expand the North American high-power charging network. The company’s own Mercedes-Benz Charging Network consisting of branded charging hubs is the next important step in the company’s electrification strategy.
Both Mercedes-Benz HPC NA and Simon anticipate the transformative impact that this collaboration will have on the electric vehicle charging landscape in North America, signaling a bright future for sustainable transportation.///
50+ Sales for Lion
The Lion Electric Company (TSX: LEV) (“Lion” or the “Company”), a leading manufacturer of all-electric medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, announced that it has received a conditional purchase order for 50 all-electric LionC school buses from Highland Electric Fleets (“Highland”), a leading provider of Electrification-as-a-Service for school districts, governments, and fleet operators in North America.
Autel Green Gift
Autel Energy, a leading innovator in electric vehicle charging solutions, is excited to announce the release of its Driven Snow White MaxiCharger AC Lite. Tailor-made to bring joy and convenience to EV owners during the holiday season, this festive addition to the Autel Energy product lineup is now available on Amazon US and Amazon CA.
As a leading brand in the EV charging industry, Autel Energy has consistently delivered cutting-edge EV chargers that combine technology, sustainability, and style. The Driven Snow White MaxiCharger AC Lite is no exception, seamlessly blending high-performance functionality with a touch of festive charm.
Drawing inspiration from the enchanting spirit of Christmas, the Christmas Limited Edition of MaxiCharger AC Lite features a snow-white color scheme, symbolizing peace and purity, perfectly complementing the Christmas mood while easily blending with the colors of your garage and car.
Key Features of the Christmas Limited Edition MaxiCharger AC Lite:
- Nine times faster charging than traditional Level 1 AC home chargers, ensuring that your EV is ready to hit the road anytime.
- Versatile multi-way connectivity options, including OCPP, Autel Cloud, RFID, and convenient app control for seamless user experience.
- Robust enclosure ratings of NEMA 4x (IP66) guarantee long-lasting durability and protection from the elements.
- Customizable Christmas experience with adorable stickers included in the box, allowing you to decorate your charger according to your festive style.
This holiday season, Autel Energy’s Driven Snow White MaxiCharger AC Lite not only enhances your Christmas spirit but also provides substantial cost savings and peace of mind. Autel’s exceptional EV chargers, celebrated for their remarkable software and hardware capabilities, ensure that your investment is exceptionally worthwhile. With the outstanding features of the AC Lite, you will not only reduce your charging costs by scheduling charging at off-peak time, but also eliminate concerns about your electric vehicle’s charging requirements. Check out how Digital Trends editor Nick saves money by owning an Autel Energy EV charger: I just installed my own EV charger. Here are 6 things to know first.
Solvay Battery Plant in Augusta
Solvay confirms its plans to build a new battery-grade PVDF facility in Augusta, Georgia. With more than half of U.S. car sales projected to be electric by 2030, the U.S. produced PVDF – a thermoplastic fluoropolymer – will allow supply for the rapidly growing EV battery market, meeting the growing needs of U.S. domestic energy storage markets. The new operations will provide material for more than 5 million EV batteries per year at full capacity and create hundreds of jobs throughout the value chain.
Solvay and Orbia have just signed their joint venture agreement for this project. The partnership secures the supply by Orbia of needed materials for Solvay to manufacture its suspension-grade polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) production, which is used as a lithium-ion binder and separator coating in electric vehicle batteries. Solvay, on the other hand, will bring its process technology and global market know-how to this venture. In combination, Solvay’s Solef® PVDF innovations and Orbia’s raw material assets and production expertise will enable delivery of PVDF that enables electric vehicles to go farther on each charge, extends battery life and improves battery safety.