EV, Battery & Charging News: CALSTART, ChargeX Consortium, Faraday Future, AMCI Testing, Qmerit, Nissan, ElectricFish, Pioneer Power, Lion Electric, TELO EV, Uber, Sensata Tech & ROHM

In electric vehicle, battery and charging news are CALSTART, ChargeX Consortium, Faraday Future, AMCI Testing, Qmerit, Nissan, ElectricFish, Pioneer Power, Lion Electric, TELO EV,
Uber, Sensata Tech and ROHM.

CALSTART Motions to Intervene

CALSTART, one of the leading nonprofit organizations working nationally and internationally to develop clean, efficient transportation solutions, filed a motion to intervene in cases where the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final greenhouse gas emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles are challenged in court.

In response to the motion to intervene filed today, CALSTART’s President and CEO, John Boesel, said:

“Our intervention is a continuation of our strong and unwavering support for standards that are mission-critical for the clean transportation industry. We have been vocal in our support for the science-based rulemaking process at each phase—and today is no exception.

With these standards under attack, we are compelled to defend them. Critically, these phased-in standards provide the regulatory certainty that the industry depends on for long-term infrastructure planning and investments. Without strong market signals, our clean transportation momentum would be stymied, and we would forfeit enormous health and climate benefits for people and planet.

The EPA standards are a step in the right direction to get us on a path toward 100 percent new zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicle (MHDV) sales by 2040, a goal enshrined in an international agreement among 36 countries, including the U.S., known as the Global Memorandum of Understanding (Global MOU) on Zero-Emission Medium-and Heavy-Duty Vehicles. With stakes this high, we look forward to robustly bringing our expertise to bear in defending standards that are both attainable and well within EPA’s legal authority.

Our overall message to the court is simple: there is no turning back now—not when these standards are what will help propel the transportation sector forward and not when U.S. companies are poised to be more globally competitive than ever.”

Background:

Currently, the heavy-duty vehicles standards are being challenged by 25 Republican-led states.

To learn more about the significance of the EPA’s Clean Truck Standards, please see CALSTART’s press release in response to EPA’s announcement earlier this year.

ChargeX Consortium Working Tasks

The National Charging Experience Consortium (ChargeX Consortium) brought together scientists, software developers, vehicle manufactures, other national laboratories and industry partners to address a priority for electric vehicle (EV) drivers: making sure the charging technology works.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory is leading a task force tapped by the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Joint Office) which funds the Charge X Consortium — a collaborative effort between Argonne, Idaho National Laboratory and National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

ChargeX has three working groups that focus on defining the charging experience, testing its reliability and usability, and developing solutions to help improve that experience on a large scale. These working groups have already released helpful publications on error codes and payment recommendations to help streamline the charging experience for drivers. Now, the testing methodology task force within the scaling reliability working group is creating frameworks for testing interoperability.

When an EV driver plugs in, all the technologies involved — the app, the charging station, the payment system server and the vehicle itself — should all communicate reliably with one another, regardless of what company manufactured them. Recently, the Task Force assembled thirty attendees, representing vehicle manufacturers, technology developers, government entities and public interest groups, to come to a consensus about what ​“interoperability” should mean and how technologies should be tested to meet the standards.

The Task Force has currently outlined 16 distinct testing categories, each with its own subset of detailed test scenarios. These scenarios consider what a user might experience in the real world, including a wide variety of both ​“happy-path” and ​“edge-case” testing.

The Task Force included test cases surrounding equipment issues, such as faulty cables, loss of internet signal or loss of power. They also explored charge discovery cases — such as what happens if a user starts with a partially inserted connector or a broken latch — and power transfer issues that might arise from conditions like temperature changes.

ChargeX’s testing parameters will help set the standard at interoperability testing events, such as those hosted by CharIN, a global association dedicated to promoting standards in the field of charging systems. CharIN’s North American ​“Testival” and Conference will take place in June in Cleveland, Ohio. ChargeX representatives from Argonne, DOE’s Idaho National Laboratory and DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory will attend to help coordinate, moderate and gather results from prescribed testing portions of the Testival.

Faraday Future Deilvers to Jun He May Make Mass Market EV

Faraday Future Intelligent Electric Inc. (NASDAQ: FFIE) (“Faraday Future”, “FF” or “Company”), a California-based global shared intelligent electric mobility ecosystem company,  announced that it delivered the latest FF 91 2.0 for prominent retail investor Jun He. The Chief Operating Officer of his U.S. branch accepted the vehicle at the delivery event which took place at the Company’s Los Angeles headquarters. Guests included FF Founder and Chief Product and User Ecosystem Officer YT Jia, who handed over the vehicle to Mr. He’s representative. This marks the resumption of the Start of Delivery Second Phase (SOD2) that began last year.

During the delivery ceremony, FF presented key features of the FF 91 including the vehicle’s unique 3rd AI Space features. This includes an industry-first in-car aggregated sports streaming, financial news browsing and stock quotes. It brings a home living room experience into the FF 91 cabin. The car utilizes the first major over-the-air (OTA) upgrades for the FF 91 2.0, comprising 752 new additions and 846 improvements. These technology upgrades showcase a breakthrough in the FF’s user experience and Co-Creation value, while further reflecting the industry trends of “All-AI, All-Hyper, All-Ability.”

SoCal Gas Electrifies with 21 Ford E-Transit Vans

Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) added Ford E-Transit electric vans into its fleet, as part of its ASPIRE 2045 sustainability strategy, working towards its goals to replace 50% of its over-the-road fleet¹ with alternative fuel vehicles (AFV) by 2025 and operate a 100% zero-emissions fleet by 2035. The introduction of 21 new Ford E-Transit vans represents a milestone for SoCalGas as the first battery electric vehicles to be integrated into the company’s fleet.

“The addition of Ford’s E-Transit electric vans to our fleet represents a significant achievement in SoCalGas’ advancement toward a zero-emissions future,” said Sandra Hrna, vice president, supply chain and operations support at SoCalGas. “By investing in technologies powered by electricity, hydrogen or renewable natural gas, we are advancing our efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and accelerate decarbonization in a sector that has historically been a major contributor to GHG emissions.”

At the close of 2023, 38% of SoCalGas’ over-the-road fleet was powered by low- and zero-emissions energy sources. SoCalGas’ current over-the-road fleet vehicles include 700 RNG Ford F-250 service pickup trucks and 50 Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (HFCEV).

“I applaud SoCalGas on its efforts to accelerate the transition of its truck fleet to zero-emissions,” said Wayne Nastri, South Coast Air Quality Management District executive officer. “These trucks reduce smog-forming emissions making it easier for us to breathe and they also reduce greenhouse gas emissions thereby helping our climate.”

SoCalGas aims to advance sustainable transportation solutions and actively collaborates with automakers to develop innovative low- and zero-emissions options to help support California’s climate goals. SoCalGas and Ford are developing a hydrogen fuel cell F-550 prototype with the Department of Energy (DOE) and, in 2025, plan to demonstrate its performance in real world conditions in an effort to help reduce GHG and nitrogen oxide emissions in medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles. Ford’s light-duty electric vans have a range of up to 126 miles and are being used by employees to service SoCalGas’ industrial and commercial customers.

“E-Transit is a great solution for companies to reduce carbon emissions while lowering fleet costs associated with fuel and maintenance,” said Ted Haladyna, Ford Pro director of product marketing. “When low- and zero-emission vehicles are supported with the right infrastructure it can be a win-win for business and the planet. Testing new technology with customers early in the development process, like we are doing with SoCalGas on F-550 Super Duty Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Truck, is another example of how our work together will bring the alternative fuel industry forward.”

To support a zero-emissions fleet, SoCalGas is installing EV chargers throughout its territory powered almost exclusively by renewable electricity under Southern California Edison’s Green Rate program. SoCalGas recently added EV charging stations at its Compton, Brea and Newberry Spring locations, with plans to extend the network to 1,500 chargers across 65 facility sites over the next two years.

SoCalGas is a leader among utilities in its sustainability goals and was among the first and largest natural gas distribution utilities in the United States to announce its aim to achieve net-zero GHG emissions by 2045.

AMCI Testing Shows Faster Rates for Tesla EVs at Tesla Superchargers

Over the last six months, AMCI Testing has been evaluating comparative fast-charging capabilities across a wide range of EVs. We call this new rating MP6^® as it measures miles of range added when they matter most: When you are short on range and/or short on time. MP6 mimics the 6 minutes of a typical gas-station stop.

For wide adoption of EVs, consumers should not need to alter their long-standing fueling habits—nor the amount of time they are willing to dedicate to enroute fueling. MP6^® clearly shows how many miles of range each EV can add within this essential and expected 6-minute window.

While our initial testing was only on the Tesla Supercharger, we have now extended the test to find the capabilities of one of its competitors, Electrify America, with results that will surprise.

To date, Tesla’s system and vehicles have been in a closed system and optimized for Tesla vehicles. Now that other brands have access, how will they perform in comparison with the chargers for which they were originally designed?

After testing several popular and diverse EVs across both the Tesla Supercharger and Electrify America networks—using AMCI Testing’s in-depth MP6 protocol—company representatives are skeptical.

“As we saw in our last release of MP6 data, even with its slower-charging, base-battery chemistry, the 2024 Tesla Model 3 ‘Highland’ adds more miles in six minutes than any other vehicle we have tested on the Tesla network,” said Guy Mangiamele, Director of AMCI Testing. “One might expect that means high-speed fast charging for any vehicle plugged into the Tesla network, but that is clearly untrue. Unlike fueling at a gas station, there are many variables at play including hardware and software, over which the consumer has no control. Among the diverse group of vehicles we have tested, the data clearly shows that non-Tesla vehicles will not charge to their full design potential at a Tesla Supercharger.”

Below are the initial results of our first MP6^® tests comparing Tesla Supercharger to Electrify America for some selected models:

Looking at the comparative results, the CEO of AMCI Global, David Stokols, commented, “Tesla’s charging world, and that of all others, have operated in separate universes. This has caused certain brands and architectures, from OEMs to charging providers, to be unfairly judged. Now with Musk reevaluating his posture on shared NACS charging, those worlds are colliding. This will lead to new winners, dashed hopes, and an opportunity for the OEMs and charging companies to create new narratives.  As the battle ensues between brands and charging systems the consumer MUST be the winner or BEVs will not become the answer for our environmental future.”

In the coming months we will extend our testing further to reveal more interesting results, as the marketplace remains very fluid. Go to www.amcitesting.com sign up for updates as they occur.

PowerHouse by Qmerit to Power Homes

Qmerit has launched PowerHouse by Qmerit™, a suite of residential electrification installation and integration services — including vehicle-to-home (V2H) emergency power – aligned to consumers’ growing demand for energy solutions that bring greater resiliency and monetary benefits for the home along with less pollution for communities.

Qmerit, North America’s leading provider of implementation services for EV charging and other energy transition technologies, functions as an organizing principle for the myriad of stakeholders in the electrification movement, including auto OEMs, EVSEs, utilities and consumers. The company’s building trades origin and extensive experience make it uniquely qualified for this ambition.

PowerHouse by Qmerit™ streamlines the complex process of acquiring and implementing residential electrification equipment such as bidirectional EV charging, solar panels, energy storage, load centers, heat pumps, and other related technologies and components.

The PowerHouse by Qmerit™ service, accessed directly through an EV auto manufacturer program or a direct-to-consumer interest form, helps homeowners and builders select the best-suited electrification products for the project. It then handles implementation and systems integration using Qmerit’s trusted network of licensed and certified electricians.

In addition, PowerHouse by Qmerit™ scans pricing from thousands of successful electrification projects across North America to provide best-value quotes that are within market ranges and that consider regional variability. It also identifies the federal, state and local incentives that reduce upfront costs, and it can help consumers explore ongoing savings or income-generating opportunities with their local utility.

“America has arrived at an inflection point in which all of the technical, policy and financial elements are in place to support a societal shift toward whole-home electrification,” said Qmerit CEO Tracy K. Price. “Now what’s needed is a comprehensive way to assemble these complex elements into a simple, financeable, home-energy retrofit that makes it easier to implement. That’s exactly what PowerHouse by Qmerit™ brings to the marketplace.”

With the launch of PowerHouse by Qmerit™, consumers can make informed decisions at any stage in their electrification journey, whether starting with a single component like EV charging or solar panels or pursuing integrated systems that provide new forms of energy management, such as emergency backup power and the ability to direct energy flows to rooms and appliances. Homeowners can even send excess energy to the utility via bidirectional technology, which could support America’s transition to a cleaner, more resilient grid and the rise of virtual power plants (VPPs).

Among the forces advancing home electrification, said Price, is the surge of electric vehicles equipped with bidirectional capability, the underlying technology that routes the vehicle’s energy to the home or grid. Another tailwind is the proliferation of net metering laws — 34 states now have them — which pave the way for utilities to issue credits to homeowners for the power produced by their solar panels.

Billions of dollars in federal, state and local incentives are also coming online. In April, the Department of Energy announced its first state award under the Inflation Reduction Act’s Home Energy Rebate Program — a $158 million grant to New York. The DOE also announced that 11 other states – Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington – have submitted funding applications.

This program consists of the Home Efficiency Rebates Program, which offers $4.3 billion to states and territories to reduce the upfront cost of whole-home energy efficiency upgrades in single and multifamily homes. It also entails the Electrification and Appliance Rebates Program of $4.3 billion for state energy offices to reduce the upfront costs of efficient electric technologies such as heat pumps for heating and cooling and heat-pump water heaters in single and multifamily homes.

“Momentum is building for whole-home electrification like never before,” said Price. “Qmerit is excited to launch PowerHouse by Qmerit™ to bring it all together on behalf of the consumer.”

2025 Nissan LEAF on Sale

The 2025 Nissan LEAF is now on-sale with a starting Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price¹ (MSRP) of $28,140.

Nissan LEAF offers two battery options so customers can select the driving range and configuration that best suits their needs. LEAF S comes with a 40-kWh lithium-ion battery with an EPA-estimated range of up to 149 miles, while SV PLUS has a 60-kWh battery and up to 212 miles of range. ²

Every Nissan LEAF comes standard with Nissan Safety Shield® 360³, a suite of technologies that includes Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Blind Spot Warning and Lane Departure Warning. For added driver convenience, LEAF SV PLUS also includes ProPILOT Assist⁴ and Intelligent Around View® Monitor⁵.

Additionally, 2025 LEAF is covered by EV Carefree+, to give EV owners a positive, stress-free experience. EV Carefree+ includes scheduled maintenance for three years or 36,000 miles (whichever occurs first), EV Battery Health Assurance and 36-months/36,000 miles emergency EV Roadside Assistance.

Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Prices for the 2025 Nissan LEAF:

Model	Battery	MSRP
S	40 kWh battery	$28,140
SV PLUS	60 kWh battery	$36,190

Destination and handling $1,140.

Full specifications on all 2025 Nissan LEAF grades, as well as photos and videos, are available in the full press kit.

For more information about our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit nissanusa.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter) and LinkedIn and see all our latest videos on YouTube.

At this time, the 2025 Nissan LEAF is not eligible for the Federal EV tax credit under Internal Revenue Code Section 30D based on final regulations released by the Internal Revenue Service on May 3, 2024.

However, eligible customers may still qualify for up to $3,750 in potential Federal EV tax credits on any remaining new 2024 LEAF vehicles that were manufactured in 2024 if purchased and delivered to the customer before January 1, 2025. Customers should consult their tax advisors to determine eligibility⁶.

# # #

1. MSRP excludes applicable tax, title, license fees and destination charges. Dealer sets actual price. Prices and specs are subject to change without notice. Destination and handling $1,140.
2. MY25 LEAF SV Plus EPA-estimated range up to 212 miles for combined city/highway driving. MY25 LEAF SV Plus EPA Fuel Economy Estimates 121 City, 98 Highway. Based on EPA formula of 33.7 kW/hour equal to one gallon of gasoline energy, EPA rated MY25 LEAF SV Plus equivalent to 121 MPG measured as gasoline fuel efficiency in city driving, and 98 MPG in highway driving. MY25 LEAF S EPA-estimated range up to 149 miles for combined city/highway driving. MY25 LEAF S EPA Fuel Economy Estimates 123 City, 99 Highway. Based on EPA formula of 33.7 kW/hour equal to one gallon of gasoline energy, EPA rated MY25 LEAF S equivalent to 123 MPG measured as gasoline fuel efficiency in city driving, and 99 MPG in highway driving. Actual mileage will vary with trim levels, options, and driving conditions. See Customer Disclosure Form for details.  Use for comparison only.

As part of its climate change initiatives, Nippon Express U.S.A., Inc. (hereinafter “NX USA“), a group company of NIPPON EXPRESS HOLDINGS, INC., has introduced its first electric truck that emits no CO2 or pollutants while running. The truck has been in operation at the San Antonio Sales Office in Texas since May 30.

NX Group’s Climate Change Task Force

The NX Group has identified a more robust response to climate change as one of the material issues it must address to realize its long-term vision of becoming a “logistics company with a strong presence in the global market.” It has been implementing climate change measures based on recommendations issued by the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD). In addition to striving to reduce CO2 emissions in its own operations, the Group is seeking to promote both global environmental conservation and business growth by developing and providing products and services that help its customers decrease their CO2 emissions.

The United States has set a goal of ensuring that electric or other zero-emission vehicles constitute 50% of new vehicle sales by 2030. The state of California in particular is aiming to make all medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, including trucks and buses, zero-emission vehicles by 2045. It is therefore essential that companies introduce zero-emission vehicles to maintain and expand their business in future.

NX USA has already begun operating its first electric truck at its San Antonio Sales Office in Texas. The company plans to introduce a total of 14 electric trucks this fiscal year in Los Angeles, Chicago, Raleigh (North Carolina), and other locations, and expects to reduce CO2 emissions from its own operations by approximately 11% during the first year of use.

The NX Group will also aid customers finding it difficult to cut their CO2 emissions from fuel combustion, etc. (Scopes 1 and 2), by setting up customized electric truck operation schedules and quantifying the amount of CO2 emissions that can be thereby reduced in support of its customers’ efforts to reduce CO2 emissions in their logistics activities (Scope 3).

The NX Group will continue practicing sustainability management from a long-term perspective and contributing to better living for people and the development of sustainable societies by addressing climate change through its business activities.

New Manufacturing by ElectricFish in San Carlos, CA

-ElectricFish, a national leader in building the next-generation of distributed energy infrastructure, announced the company’s new manufacturing facility and corporate headquarters in San Carlos, Calif. will open today at 3:00 pm Pacific. The company builds and deploys intelligent grid edge charging solutions to accelerate electric vehicle adoption, especially in areas with grid constraints. In addition, the company’s solutions help prepare communities for increased power outages due to climate change.

“California has some of the country’s most ambitious goals for electrifying transportation and providing resilient infrastructure to support historically disadvantaged communities. ElectricFish’s innovative products will help California meet its bold clean transportation goals while creating new manufacturing jobs in California,” said David Hochschild, Chair of the California Energy Commission (CEC).

Supported in part by $1.69 million in grants from the CEC, ElectricFish’s new facility will immediately start producing the company’s flagship product, the 350Squared™, the industry’s most advanced infrastructure for combined fast EV charging and energy resilience. The new facility will support ElectricFish’s rapidly growing pipeline of installations across different sectors in the country, from fleet charging depots to government uses, such as national parks and military facilities. The company plans to expand its employee base by 300% by April 2025, with a range of new positions including engineers, electricians and technicians.

“ElectricFish is tackling the need for more high-speed EV charging and doing it in a way that is easier on the grid and can be deployed faster, while also creating new manufacturing jobs right here on the Peninsula in one of the industries of the future. We need a lot more innovators like ElectricFish in the fight against climate change,” said California State Senator Josh Becker.

The National Park Service, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers have completed successful pilot projects with ElectricFish. These projects demonstrate the system’s abilities to unlock DC fast charging in grid-constrained sites in days instead of years, while also providing backup energy for critical onsite loads. Their patented smart optimization software also reduces peak energy consumption, helps use on-site solar to charge EVs, and even earns revenue from participating in utility programs.

ElectricFish Awards

Over the last two year, the company and its founders have has received a number of awards including:

• Department of Homeland Security – Clean Power for Hours Challenge: Innovator Award
• 2022 Edison Awards – Silver, Transportation and Infrastructure Safety
• 2022 Stanford Global Energy Heroes
• 2023 Poets & Quants Most Disruptive MBA Startups
• CEO Anurag Kamal was named to Business Insider’s 35 Under 35: Meet 2022’s rising stars of the electric-vehicle industry
• Co-founders Folasade Ayoola and Anurag Kamal were named to Forbes 30 Under 30 – Energy (2022)

Funding

In addition to receiving grants from the CEC, the company has also received funding from the Department of Energy – Cradle to Commerce, Caltech Rocket Fund, Michigan Mobility Funding Platform, 2023 Oxford Seed Fund, and 2023 Third Derivative.

Large Public School District Buys Pioneer Power Powers e-Boost Mobile Units

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 has received an order from one of the largest public school districts in the United States for 25 e-Boost Mobile units to power the school district’s electric school bus (“ESB”) fleet. The order, valued at $7.1 million, is likely to grow to more than $8.0 million with the expected addition of planned contingency measures.//

All told, some 1.27 million purely electric (BEV) and hybrid (PHEV) vehicles were made in Germany in 2023, the second highest number in the world behind China. China dominates global EV production, but the vast majority of its cars are sold domestically. By contrast 76 percent of German EVs are sold abroad.

The US is the world’s third largest maker of EVs. Germany leads Europe with more electric vehicles produced than second-placed Spain (256,000) and France (225,000) put together.

Final Cert for Lion Electric BatteryHD

The Lion Electric Company (NYSE: LEV) (TSX: LEV) (“Lion” or the “Company”), a leading manufacturer of all-electric medium and heavy-duty urban vehicles, announced  the successful final certification for its heavy-duty (“HD”) battery pack, the LionBattery HD, a lithium-ion battery pack specifically designed for the Company’s purpose-built heavy-duty trucks.

Lion, in collaboration with third-party testing partners, conducted stringent testing to meet the certification requirements. The LionBattery HD pack is now certified to meet the most rigorous criteria and safety regulations in the automotive industry.

These 105 kWh proprietary battery packs will power the Lion8 Tractor, an all-electric Class 8 commercial truck, which was unveiled on May 21, 2024, during the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo in Las Vegas.

Lion had previously announced in December 2023 the certification of its medium-duty (“MD”) battery pack, the LionBattery MD pack, specially designed for the company’s medium-duty trucks and school buses.

“At Lion, our commitment to pushing innovation to new heights is exemplified by the development of our state-of-the-art batteries, like the LionBattery HD for heavy-duty trucks. This advancement underscores our dedication to excellence, reliability and safety, solidifying our leadership role in North America’s transportation electrification landscape, as the battery serves as a critical component of the vehicle,” stated Marc Bedard, CEO-Founder of Lion. “With major battery development milestones behind us, we will now focus on optimizing the integration of both the LionBattery MD and HD packs on our vehicles, which should ultimately translate into production efficiency,” Marc further emphasized.

The LionBattery HD and MD packs are manufactured at Lion’s state-of-the-art battery production facility. Today, with an annual manufacturing capacity of 1.7 gigawatt hours, the plant is capable of powering 5,000 of Lion’s commercial vehicles per year.///

TELO EV mini-Truck Prototypes

TELO Trucks, the world’s most efficient EV mini-truck announced today that their first two fully functional prototypes will be hand-built by leading California-based manufacturer Aria Group – a major player in the early stage development of concept vehicles and rapid prototyping for the most notable automotive, aerospace, maritime, and entertainment companies globally.

This announcement coincides with the company’s one-year anniversary and comes off the heels of a $5.4M strategic funding round led by Neo, with additional investment from Spero Ventures and more. Marc Tarpenning, co-founder of Tesla, has also joined TELO’s Board, bringing decades of experience as an EV originator.

“As an internationally recognized full service product development and prototyping company, we knew immediately that Aria Group would bring to TELO’s build process the utmost care and attention to detail,” commented TELO Trucks Co-Founder and CTO, Forrest North. “Their work in the space is unparalleled.”

TELO is representative of a new era of EV start-ups and has very intentionally leveraged their funding to not only build the most size-efficient electric truck, but also offer solutions for urban environments. As the design process nears its final stages, Aria Group’s team is gearing up to make the TELO Truck a reality, combining the latest advances in rapid manufacturing technology with innovative design and creative engineering.

Aria Group’s President and Founder, Clive Hawkins, added, “Our out-of-the-box approach is perfectly suited for TELO’s ultra-advanced automotive design and EV electrification engineering approach. We’re proud to be part of advancing clean-tech, paving the way for the future of transportation.”

Since launch, TELO has received over 3,000 pre-orders nationwide. A mini-truck with purpose, the vehicle combines the compact size of a MINI Cooper with the utility of a Toyota Tacoma. Using advanced driving and safety technologies and a fast-charge, long-range 350-mile battery, TELO offers drivers a totally redesigned pickup.

To learn more and to pre-order a TELO Truck for only $152, the truck’s length in inches, please visit www.telotrucks.com.

Uber Partners with T-Mobile for JourneyTV Advertising

Uber’s advertising division announced an exclusive partnership with T-Mobile Advertising Solutions and its rideshare media network – Octopus Interactive – which features the largest national network of interactive video screens inside rideshare vehicles. Through this partnership, Uber will leverage a portion of T-Mobile’s rideshare inventory to expand Uber’s JourneyTV offering to over 50,000 vehicles across the US this year, providing advertisers an entirely new opportunity to connect with Uber riders when they’re most likely to engage.

As part of the partnership, T-Mobile screens will display Uber’s JourneyTV rider experience when an Uber trip is underway. JourneyTV shows a live trip map with ETA until drop off, personalized recommendations on restaurants near the trip destination, travel inspiration ideas and local activities to enjoy, as well as highly relevant video, interactive and other ads driven by Uber’s first party data insights.

Advertisers and riders alike benefit from the unique ride experience. To date, advertisements from Uber’s own video screens have seen a 98% completion rate. In addition, riders are seeing the value in those ads, with new research from MAGNA and Uber showing 74% of people express an interest in taking advantage of an offer displayed during a trip and around 7 in 10 riders view ads as an enhancement to their ride. For advertisers, JourneyTV provides a unique opportunity to reach Uber riders on the largest screen in the car during a trip, with content that is uniquely relevant to their key audiences.

“As advertisers continue to look for ways to find consumers at the right moment, this partnership with T-Mobile gives them the unique opportunity to literally sit in the back seat with the people they want to reach most,” said Gil Schwartz, General Manager JourneyTV, Uber advertising. “JourneyTV delivers a new CTV channel to reach a younger, high-income audience that is tech-inclined, savvy and more likely to consume and engage with video and interactive content.”

Now, advertisers will be able to take advantage of the insights, geo-targeting and reach made possible through Uber’s scale and first-party data, alongside T-Mobile’s comprehensive rideshare network of screens to execute tailored campaigns that reach a range of highly engaged consumers and provide them a unique and relevant ad experience.

Sensata Tech Lauches SGB Series Contacctors

Sensata Technologies, announced the launch of its SGX Series – the SGX150, SGX250 and SGX400 contactors. These new series of contactors complement the existing portfolio with solutions ideal for low-power applications that require reliable switching and efficient design like residential energy storage systems, DC fast charging stations, and industrial applications such as electric forklifts and Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV). The new SGX series utilize ceramic to metal weld technology with several advantages:

• Hermetically sealed for optimal breaking capabilities
• Usage up to 175°C with effective handling of over-current conditions
• Gas backfilled (primarily hydrogen) resulting in low and stable contact resistance
• Tailored to residential Energy Storage Systems (ESS), DC fast charge, industrial AGV / forklift applications
• Complies with IEC 60664-1 and RoHS standards
• UL certified by early Q3 2024

The SGX series offers optimal breaking capability for applications up to 1000V and 150 / 250 / 400A continuous current carry respectively, with an efficient design, effective and reliable switching, longevity, and a square form-factor.

ROHM SiC Modules