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Chargie Federal ATO
Chargie, a leading provider of electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions, announced its platform has been granted Authorization to Operate (ATO) within federal government systems from the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), and the designation of FedRAMP Authorized from the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP). This achievement marks a significant milestone in the company’s commitment to designing, installing, and operating networked level 2 and level 3 EV charging infrastructure for government agencies and fleets across the United States.
“Chargie’s relentless focus on data security and reliability for our EV charging infrastructure sets us apart,” said Scot Hester, senior vice president of service operations at Chargie. “The thorough review of our systems conducted to obtain this approval confirms our ability to meet the comprehensive standards outlined by the federal government and serve customers that require high levels of security.”
FedRAMP enables the federal government to accelerate the adoption of cloud computing by creating transparent standards and processes for security authorizations and allowing agencies to leverage security authorizations on a government-wide scale.
As part of the authorization process, Chargie completed a rigorous evaluation with a FedRAMP-accredited third-party assessment organization (3PAO), which included in-depth reviews of the solution’s data security and internal control processes. Post-authorization, Chargie will undergo continuous monitoring procedures, which include annual assessments, security training, and incident reporting.
In 2021, an Executive Order called for all federal vehicle acquisitions to be zero-emission by 2035. This transition includes 100 percent zero-emission light-duty acquisitions starting in 2027. The ability for agencies to partner with an authorized EV charging infrastructure provider is key to achieving these goals quickly and securely.
“The transition to electric vehicles will reduce carbon emissions across many critical government use cases. Reliable and secure EV charging infrastructure will power fleets, workplaces, military applications, and more,” said Chargie CEO Zach Jennings. “We’re proud to provide products and services federal, state, and local agencies can trust.”
Chargie was awarded a Blanket Purchase Agreement in 2022 from the GSA, which provides agencies with a streamlined procurement process for EV charging solutions.
Transtector New EV Chargers
Transtector, an Infinite Electronics brand and a leading provider of end-to-end power and signal integrity solutions, has released a new line of electric vehicle (EV) charging cables. The cables are designed for the increasingly popular Level 2 charging application, and they employ the tried-and-true J1772 connector.
Level 2 EV charging stations are some of the most popular in use today and are rapidly being deployed in high volume. Some of the locations where they are commonly used are public charging stations, convenience stores, businesses, shopping centers, restaurants, entertainment venues, universities and housing units.
Transtector’s new offerings provide faster charging than Level 1 and offer an economical alternative to DC fast chargers. The new line of charging cables can accept 120 VAC, 208 VAC or 240 VAC power. The AC rapid-charging cables are available in three versions based on charging rate: 32 amps, 40 amps or 48 amps.
Transtector’s new electric vehicle charging cables feature the J1772 connector, which is one of the most common charging ports for electric vehicles in the United States and Canada for Level 1 and Level 2 applications. The J1772 charging connector includes pins for both transferring power and proximity sensing, ensuring that the EV can depart only when the charging cable has been safely disconnected. It is safe, dependable and user-friendly.
Combined with a J1772-to-NACS adapter, these cables can also be used for charging EVs with NACS charging ports.
Transtector’s standard policy of keeping products in stock for same-day shipping is particularly valuable with these EV charging cables. The policy supports the U.S. government’s uptime requirements for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) financial incentive program.
The new EV charging cables are 18 feet long and have been tested and certified by Underwriters Laboratories (UL). This UL listing makes them suitable for use on UL-listed charging stations. The SAE J1772 charger connector adheres to standards set by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE).
“The demand is growing for our new EV charging cables, which are available in all the standard Level 2 charging rates,” said Product Line Manager Dan Rebeck. “As a bonus, Transtector’s policies for same-day shipping and maintaining stock on our products means that you can get them fast when you need them the most.”
Transtector’s new Level 2 electric vehicle charging cables with J1772 connectors are in stock and available for same-day shipment.
Pioneer Power Zero Emission with NOMAD
Pioneer Power Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq: PPSI) (“Pioneer” or the “Company”), a leader in the design, manufacture, service and integration of electrical power systems, distributed energy resources, power generation equipment and mobile electric vehicle (“EV”) charging solutions, announced that it is launching its first zero-emission platforms.
Developed in partnership with NOMAD Transportable Power Solutions, Inc. (NOMAD), the leading domestic manufacturer of zero-emission, utility-scale mobile energy storage, Pioneer’s Zero Emission e-Boost (“ZEeB”) and EXZELCR platforms set a new bar in meeting the growing demand for low-carbon, mobile, e-Boost solutions with grid-gap solutions.
Under development with NOMAD since last year, the companies collaborated to design and test the platforms’ architecture. Like all of Pioneer’s e-Boost platforms, ZEeB and EXZELCR are mobile, but the new platforms offer the added benefit of battery energy storage to provide zero-emission EV charging. The new solutions will allow EV charging for a wide range of markets including at events, in remote locations, for disaster response, or even for fleet management where charging flexibility for a large number of EVs is a priority.
Pioneer eMobility is now offering the ZEeB to customers and is ready to begin delivery. The initial ZEeB has a 500 kW power capacity unit powered by KORE Power lithium-ion battery cells with 1.3 MWh energy storage capacity that can deliver more than five hours of EV charging with a 240 kW charger, more than 10 hours with a 120 kW charger or more than 21 hours with a 60 kW charger.
Later this year, the Company plans to introduce two larger ZEeB units offering 750 kW and 1 MW of capacity. The ZEeB is EV charger brand agnostic.
Pioneer’s new EXZELCR is available to allow for immediate, mobile, emissions-free, off-grid recharging of the ZEeB, while also offering additional value. EXZELCR includes onboard availability for 3-phase, 2-phase, and single-phase power availability making it a complete Disaster Recovery (“DR”) tool.
With ZEeB and EXZELCR, the Company has created a hybrid EV charging system that provides zero emission EV charging wherever and whenever it is needed, and it can be easily recharged within hours by EXZELCR for continuous availability.
“While many battery energy storage solutions are available in the US market, they are severely limited by dependence on a high-power, near-site grid connection for recharging,” said Nathan Mazurek, CEO of Pioneer. “By pairing a mobile battery energy storage solution with a mobile, low-carbon recharge system, we are opening immense possibilities for our customers. Whenever electricity becomes unavailable at a site, these units transform instantly into integral parts of a microgrid (“MG”) or Distributed Energy Resource (“DER”), which we believe places them years ahead of their competition when it comes to peak demand shaving and resiliency.”
Key features and benefits of the ZEeB and EXZELCR include:
● Fast, EV Charging, Anytime, Anywhere: Powered by a high-performance, mobile battery system, at 500 kW, it delivers exceptionally high-speed EV charging in the most remote or grid congested areas, enabling businesses to transition to EVs.
● Compact Form Factor: The compact design of both units makes them easy to transport and mobilize, simplifying EV charging for fleets, transit agencies, school bus depots, municipalities and sustainability events.
● Enhanced Future Resiliency: When grid connectivity comes to the client site, the ZEeB can be easily integrated with a grid connection into Pioneer’s E-Bloc solution, which offers complete microgrid connectivity options and enables a comprehensive Distributed Energy Resource that can integrate rooftop or canopy solar and other renewable sources into the facility. ZEeb is designed to double as a disaster recovery unit that can provide raw 480V, 3-phase, 240V or 120V power for any site use in times or urgent needs.
“NOMAD is committed to delivering mobile energy storage solutions that fill the gaps in providing safe, clean, reliable power,” said NOMAD CEO Paul Coombs. “Through our partnership with Pioneer, we’re allowing fast EV charging to be deployed as needed, while eliminating the restrictions of stationary charging stations, all with units made in the US.”
The Company believes that the launch of ZEeB and EXZELCR brings unrivaled EV charging flexibility, representing a significant step forward for EV deployment.
“The path to Net Zero will be a story of innovation and optimization, and with ZEeB and EXZELCR, our customers have a faster way to reach their EV charging and sustainability goals,” commented Geo Murickan, head of Pioneer eMobility.
In addition to fleets in California with Class 8 vehicles that are already transitioning to meet the Advanced Clean Fleet regulations, many transit agencies, school bus depots, municipalities, ports and even air taxi (electrical Vertical Take-Off and Landing – eVTOL) entities have expressed interest in the current and higher capacity models.
“Our customers are ready to embrace the EV transition, and with the decentralized design offered by ZEeB and EXZELCR, these solutions will streamline EV adoption,” Coombs added.
NOMAD Transportable Power Systems, Inc. (“NOMAD”), is a Vermont-based company formed by KORE Power www.korepower.com in 2020 to provide the energy industry with a standardized mobile energy storage platform. NOMAD is the first entrant into the mobile lithium-ion energy storage space and combines its patent-pending, over-the-road storage units with a standardized docking platform capable of interconnection with any distribution or transmission utility. The NOMAD system was designed from the onset to provide its customers all the benefits of fixed site energy storage, while eliminating both the capital commitments and long-term obligations that traditional energy storage requires. To learn more about NOMAD, please visit www.nomadpower.com
Commercial Trailer Leasing Partners with Orange EV
Commercial Trailer Leasing, Inc. (CTL) announces a partnership with Orange EV to deploy pure-electric and zero-emission, DOT-compliant yard trucks throughout the United States. The Orange EV yard trucks along with their paired, onsite charging cabinets will be under lease with various customers within the food distribution and logistics industry segments.
The e-TRIEVER® yard trucks have an 81,000 lb. GCWR, handling some of the harshest conditions and heaviest duty cycles in the United States with a functional environmental temperature range of -40 F° to 120 F°. Orange EV has multiple solutions that are successfully meeting zero emissions standards without sacrificing size and speed. The e-TRIEVER 4×2 has a standard 122-inch wheelbase and 98-99% average uptime.
Replacing diesel yard trucks with pure-electric e-TRIEVER trucks is a proven method to meet or exceed company sustainability goals while also reducing driver fatigue, safety incidents, and driver turnover. Drivers enjoy near-instant heating in the winter and a cooler cab environment in the summer, with zero diesel emissions and reduced vibration and maintenance.
Aptera Motors & CTNS Partnership
Aptera Motors takes a critical step towards its goal to reach scaled production of its transformative solar EV with the establishment of a strategic alliance with CTNS.
Through the signing of multiple agreements between the companies, a formal business relationship has been established to build Aptera’s battery pack program, develop other energy solutions and revenue streams together, and pave the way for the creation of a joint venture subsidiary dedicated to advancing these initiatives.
CTNS is a vertically integrated expert in battery innovation technology offering services for the development, manufacturing, and management of battery packs for industries including robotics, electric vehicles, and air mobility. As Aptera’s tier-1 battery supplier and manufacturer, CTNS will bring its expertise to the US to support Aptera’s resources in designing, building, and validating a battery pack program that is high-quality, energy-efficient, and reliable. The company will source and install battery production lines for Aptera in Carlsbad, CA and supply the Aptera Battery Pack for its solar electric vehicle that is launching with a 400-mile range plus up to 40 miles per day just from the sun’s rays.
“Our alliance with CTNS allows us to reduce the risk and overall cost of our solar electric vehicle program. With CTNS’s support, we now have an accelerated timeline for final battery pack validation, including UN and IEC certification, and the ability to build our battery line faster than we could on our own,” says Chris Anthony, Co-CEO of Aptera.
With a mission to create a sustainable world through environmentally friendly energy technology, CTNS has become the largest battery pack supplier for the robotics industry in South Korea. Headquartered in Changwon, Korea, the company offers end-to-end development and manufacturing of battery packs for companies including HL Mando, a leading supplier for Hyundai & KIA Motors, Hyundai Robotics, Hyundai Mobis, SK E&S, and more.
Co-CEO of Aptera Motors, Steve Fambro, says, “This agreement with CTNS was made possible by the State of California and the grant awarded to us by the California Energy Commission. Through the CEC’s Clean Transportation Program, we will be able to accelerate the development of a critical part of our zero-emission vehicle and bring additional business and employment opportunities to California that support our over-arching goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the state and beyond.”
The master supply and investment agreements, signed at the close of 2023, are only part of a greater partnership between the two companies, who signed an MOU to establish a joint venture company for Aptera’s battery pack program and other energy solutions last week.
To power the joint venture company and the efforts to support Aptera’s battery pack program, CTNS will contribute $5 million to Aptera and this collaboration. This effort is also supported by the Korean grant program and will be complemented by the grant money awarded to Aptera from the CEC, totaling approximately $10 million for Aptera’s battery manufacturing.
“We are confident that we will succeed in mass-producing the most efficient solar electric vehicle in the world with Aptera and become the leaders of change in mobility. With our shared commitment to innovation in energy technology, we look forward to a fruitful partnership that will drive innovation and sustainability in the transportation, maritime, and aerospace industries,” states CTNS CEO, Ki-jeong Kwon.
More Toyoda Parts Made in US
Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. will invest $59.9M (USD) to increase production capacity at two of its American subsidiaries, TG Missouri Corporation (TGMO) and TG Kentucky, LLC (TGKY), to keep up with growing sales of interior and exterior automotive parts in the key North American market.
In the coming years automakers are expected to introduce more diverse lineups of vehicle types, including battery electric vehicles and others. With a view to this evolution in automobiles, Toyoda Gosei will establish a network that can provide products with a wide range of variations, such as many different types of large painted products that are front and rear components of automobiles.
For this purpose, the company is enlarging plant buildings and installing large, energy-efficient electric molding machines and highly efficient painting booths. It is also incorporating the latest production technology, such as product assembly and transport automation and IoT systems that centrally manage production processes, and optimizing production layouts.
North America is a key market in Toyoda Gosei’s medium- to long-term business strategy (2030 Business Plan). Going forward, the company will expand its development and production network to flexibly and rapidly meet customer needs in this essential market.