Category: clean transportation

For Today: Musk tweets teaser on Model 3 launch, Europe’s largest utility sees plug-in vehicle sales coming faster than expected

Model 3 release date teaser:  The launch date of the Tesla Model 3 will be revealed on Sunday, according to a Twitter post by CEO Elon Musk. However, the announcement could be other news such as when the production will start next month, or when a production model will be shown during that month. Douglas Bailey spoke for those anxious to learn more in his tweet last night: “please have mercy. I don’t care if you say July 31st – but the speculation on Model 3 final release date has to stop.” Musk responded: “News on Sunday.” Musk said recently that Tesla is “definitely” on track to begin Model 3 production in July. Customers will be able to customize their orders for color and wheel size, Musk told shareholders earlier this month.

European plug-in sales:  The European plug-in vehicle market was up 48% in registrations during May, year-over-year, with 20,568 vehicles sold. It was up 21% over April, according to the European Alternative Fuels Observatory. Plug-in hybrids took the lead with 11,494 units sold, with all-electric vehicles at 9,074 units sold. The Renault Zoe finished in first place with about 10% of the share and 2,065 units sold during the month. The Mitsubishi Outlander retained second place, followed by the Nissan Leaf, BMW i3, and the Volkswagen Passat GTE.

Largest utility backing chargers:  The CEO of Europe’s largest utility sees the pace of plug-in vehicle adoption becoming faster than the global auto and energy industries expect. Italian utility Enel SpA chief Francesco Starace said in an interview in Rome that his company will be investing nearly 300 million euros ($341 million) to install about 12,000 recharging spots across Italy. These vehicles will need a larger charging infrastructure. Starace said that electric cars could help stabilize the grid. It will also provide a small revenue stream to users when they’re recharging through a new ‘vehicle to grid’ technology in Italy. Electric cars become large mobile batteries able to interact with the power grid, supporting renewable energy and helping to balance out power flow.

For Today: BMW bringing out electric version of popular 3-series, Tesla in talks to set up shop in China

BMW going electric in 3-series:  BMW may be on the verge of announcing an all-electric 3-series car this fall at the Munich auto show. The compact-sized sedan will be getting a range of at least 248 miles per charge, and will be a direct competitor to the upcoming Tesla Model 3. The company has a few of its models in plug-in hybrid form already. The company has sold 1,373 units of the 3-series plug-in hybrids in the US, this year through May, according to HybridCars’ Dashboard. An all-electric 3-series would join the BMW i3 as another BMW battery electric model. Months ago, BMW CEO Harald Krueger said that the company would be making a push toward more electrification and connected features. Sales of the i3 have not been as strong as Tesla and Chevy models; and sales of the i8 supercar have been weak lately. The 3-series is one of the most popular BMW models, which could help spike its electric car sales.

California rebates:  California may soon see $3 billion set aside as incentive funds for electric car purchases. Assembly member Phil Ting announced it in San Francisco yesterday, which is called the California Electric Vehicle Initiative; the bill would offer rebates to buyers at the time of purchase. The bill proposes giving more cash to low-income buyers and would eliminate the need for buyers to file tax rebates with the state. The federal tax credit is likely to see an end in sight as the first wave nears and end, and it’s unlikely to see renewal under the Trump administration. California still has a long way to go to reach Governor Jerry Brown’s goal of having 1.5 million zero emission vehicles on state roads by 2025. Current incentives require consumers to apply for credits after the purchase is complete, which may deter purchases.

Tesla factory in China:  Tesla is in talks to set up a vehicle manufacturing plant in Shanghai. It’s still in the talk stage, as Tesla emphasized in a quote that current discussions are happening to “explore the potential” of setting up shop in China. Last year, Tesla earned $1.1 billion in revenue from sales in China, a figure equivalent to 15% of its worldwide revenue. The challenge has been that not having a factory in China means you pay 25% tariff and have to spike up the sticker prices on cars being sold there. There’s also the issue of the Chinese government requiring foreign companies to create joint ventures with a local Chinese automaker. That’s the case for every automaker with factories there now, but it may be outside consideration for Tesla. The U.S. company is well known for doing things its own way, unlike other automakers typically forging alliances with other companies.

For Today: UPS doubling clean fleet and fuel, California funding more hydrogen stations

UPS expanding clean fleet and fuel:  UPS will be nearly doubling the presence of green vehicles in its delivery fleet, and will double the volume of ground fuel coming from alternative fuel sources. By 2020, 25% of its vehicles will be powered by alternative fuels or advanced vehicle technology, up from 16% last year from a ground vehicle fleet of about 114,000 vehicles overall. Green vehicles include electric, hybrid, hydraulic hybrid, or those that run on compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, and propane autogas. The company will be getting 40% of its ground fuel from sources other than conventional gasoline and diesel by 2024, doubling the 19.6% from 2016. The delivery company has a few trial projects in the works. As revealed at ACT Expo 2017, the company received the first of 17 hydrogen fuel cell vans that UPS will deploy by the end of 2018.

Chrysler Pacifica recall:  Chrysler has recalled about 1,700 of its new Pacifica plug-in hybrid minivans. The automaker is concerned about a potentially faulty diode within the power inverter module. That defect could make the inverter stop function, which would then go to a powertrain shutdown. The risk of a crash would go up, but the automaker said there haven’t been any crashes or injuries related to the recall issue. Deliveries of Chrysler Pacifica began in early April; recall alerts will start to be sent out on July 24, with replacement of the faulty part being carried out.

CEC funding more hydrogen stations:  The California Energy Commission awarded more than $17 million in grants to grow the state’s hydrogen refueling network. Nine new hydrogen fueling stations that will expand the infrastructure network were approved. FirstElement Fuel will develop eight hydrogen stations. Five will be in Southern California in Huntington Beach, Irvine, San Diego, Santa Monica, and Sherman Oaks. The remaining three will be in the Bay Area in Campbell, Oakland, and Sunnyvale. Air Liquide also received funds for a hydrogen refueling station in Santa Nella that will help connect Southern California and Bay Area hydrogen stations. The U.S. Dept. of Energy’s Alternative Fuel Station Locator map shows 36 hydrogen stations currently open in the U.S., with 33 of them in California.

For Today: ChargePoint adding 9,800 charging spots, Germany cracking down on diesel

ChargePoint buys GE network:  ChargePoint will be adding 9,800 charging spots to its network through acquisition of GE’s EV charging network. That’s made up of more than 1,800 commercial and about 8,000 resident charging spots to the ChargePoint network. GE’s existing clients and drivers will be served through maintenance of GE’s existing software and commercial charging stations. GE customers with questions about the transition to ChargePoint can learn more at this site. GE played a visible role in setting up the U.S. charging infrastructure years ago, and would be typically seen with a strong presence at electric transportation industry conferences.

Most powerful solar:  Los Angeles just had the world’s most powerful solar energy project completed, according to solar developer PermaCity and city officials. The Westmont Solar Energy Project, located in LA’s port town of San Pedro, has more than 50,000 solar panels covering 50 acres of roof space and generating up to 16.4 megawatts of electricity. That’s enough to provide power to 5,000 single family homes. It comes in second after Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, Calif., in terms of size. As for power, it offers the world’s most powerful solar source for electricity announcement.

Germany cracking down on diesel emissions and reporting:  Germany will be adopting a national plan to reduce pollution from diesel vehicles, and to establish a new organization for making vehicle emissions testing more accurate. National elections will be taking place on September 24, two years after the Volkswagen “dirty diesel” scandal was reported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Germany, which plays a leading role in the European Union and is the home base for VW, has been taking a tough stance with automakers and their diesel vehicles. Diesel cars have been very popular in Germany, with VW, Audi, Mercedes, and BMW offering a long list of high-performance diesel cars; many of which will be going away. On Monday, the transport ministry was urging automakers to upgrade to realistic software on up to 12 million diesel vehicles in Germany; on Tuesday, that ministry announced creation of a “national diesel forum” to work with automakers and regional governments on emissions cuts.

For Today: Nissan Renault going mobile, FuturePorts explores future of clean trucks

Nissan Renault going mobile:  The Nissan and Renault alliance is entering the self-driving, ride-hailing and shared rides business; and the cars will be electric. It won’t be happening overnight – not likely before 2020 but within 10 years, a company executive said. The two companies have been testing self-driving vehicles. The mobility service will run on pre-mapped courses with predetermined pick-up and drop-off points. The automated system is being worked out with Japanese game software maker DeNA Co Ltd and French public transport operator Transdev SA. Several companies have revealed similar plans through alliances or on their own, including Ford, Uber, Lyft, Waymo, BMW, and General Motors. Tesla will offer its buyers fully autonomous cars that they can rent out for shared rides.

25 years in clean transportation:  CALSTART marks its 25th anniversary in October, with its symposium connecting transportation, jobs, and the environment. This gathering of national policymakers and industry leaders will explore market acceleration through transportation policies and technologies that result in creating more jobs, while meeting our climate and clean air goals. Solutions and actions to stimulate thinking toward a 2030 vision for a clean transportation economy will be explored. Stakeholders will gather on October 25 in Pasadena, Calif.

FuturePorts looks at role of clean trucks in port sustainability
The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are striding forward on their commitment made a decade ago to bring clean trucks to the southland. Trucks powered by renewable natural gas (RNG), batteries, and hydrogen are becoming part of entering the next phase, according to speakers yesterday at FuturePorts in Long Beach, Calif.

More support for fleet operators acquiring these vehicles is likely to come from revenue collected through the state’s cap and trade auction funds, which came from the state’s AB 32 global warming measure, said Wayne Nastri, executive officer at South Coast Air Quality Management District. A new bill in Sacramento, if passed, addresses vehicle smog checks and could also provide more funding for clean heavy-duty trucks, he said.

Fleets in Southern California have been early adopters of RNG, using the clean fuel in refuse trucks, street sweepers, and buses, said George Minter, regional vice president, external affairs and environmental strategy for Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas).

Yesterday also saw a major announcement by Los Angeles County’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s board authorizing the purchase of nearly 300 natural gas buses; the agency will be running them on RNG that can reduce exhaust emissions by as much as 98% when compared to MTA’s current buses.

The Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) Now Plan was presented last month to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. California Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition submitted the plan directed at drayage trucks serving the ports. The coalition is giving input as the ports adopt the 2017 Clean Air Action Plan. The ACT Now Plan encompasses all zero- and near-zero emission technologies and fuels, including natural gas, propane, battery electric, hydrogen fuel cell electric, and others that meet a 0.02 g/bhp-hr NOx standard. The .02 standard has been supported by public fleets and transit agencies since being adopted by California Air Resources Board and Air Quality Management Districts about two years ago.

Transit buses, refuse trucks, and medium- and heavy-duty trucks built with Cummins Westport’s ISL G near zero certified natural gas 8.9-liter engine are fueled by renewable natural gas that’s reducing NOx emissions by 90% based on the .02 standard. A Cummins Westport 11.9-liter heavy-duty natural gas engine is awaiting certification by CARB and EPA, Minter said. Other vehicle and engine manufacturers may be rolling out technology suited for near zero emission trucks, especially as the 2023 deadline for hitting Clean Air Act targets approaches, he said.

Caroline Choi, senior vice president for regulatory affairs at Southern California Edison, said her utility has been exploring ways to “decarbonize” transportation through electric power. One project involved converting over cranes to run on electricity instead of diesel at the Port of Long Beach. Electric medium- and heavy-duty trucks are on their way. The company is also getting involved in test projects using electric rubber tired gantry cranes and yard tractors, she said.

Consumers and fleet operators also want to know more about rate costs tied to charging electric vehicles, Choi said. The utility is looking into rate pricing to keep it stable and eliminate demand charges.

Ash Corson, alternative fuels vehicle manager for Toyota, talked about Toyota’s Project Portal, which is testing out heavy-duty fuel cell drayage trucks at the ports. Toyota engineers have been working on hydrogen-fueled Class 8 trucks capable of carrying up to 80,000 pounds. A Toyota video showed a fuel cell truck having a lot more torque power than a diesel truck.

Choi and Minter engaged in a bit of banter over which technology, electric or RNG, is really zero emissions – or less. Minter made the point that RNG can go lower than electric, with some of it reaching net negative in emissions when the material comes from sewage treatment plants, landfills, and particularly from dairies. Choi distinguished clean energy, coming from renewable sources like wind and solar, from renewable fuels like biomethane.

Nastri reiterated SCAQMD’s stance on being technology neutral, supporting technologies that are dramatically reducing vehicle emissions. All of the panelists agreed on that point, and emphasized being cooperative in the decades-long battle between petroleum and clean fuels.

For Today: Tesla making agreement on Chinese factory, NAFA launches new website

Will Tesla forge a Chinese JV?:  Tesla is very close to finalizing an agreement to build a factory in China, according to sources close to the matter. The agreement is being made with the city of Shanghai and is expected to be released this week. The U.S. automaker will need to set up a joint venture with at least one Chinese company, which is the case for all other automakers manufacturing vehicles in China. While Tesla wants to cut out the 25% tariff being charged to import its cars to China, creating a JV has been outside Tesla’s corporate culture (an example being creating its own Supercharger fast charger and not sharing the tech with other automakers). In early May, CEO Elon Musk had met with Chinese vice premier Wang Yang, which was reported in state-owned media as focusing on a JV being forged. The electric automaker released a statement at that time denying it will be going into business with a Chinese company. But Tesla does want to have a strong presence in China, having tripled its revenue there to $1 billion last year; creating a JV may be a necessity.

BMW 530e being outsourced to Magna:  BMW is outsourcing manufacturing of a new 5-Series plug-in hybrid to North America’s largest auto supplier, Canadian company Magna International. Production will take place at the Graz, Austria plant of the Magna Steyr subsidiary with building of the BMW 530e starting this summer. Magna is opening the door to a new space for auto suppliers – contract manufacturing at a large scale. Magna Steyr will be manufacturing the Jaguar I-Pace electric SUV starting in early 2018. Companies like BMW and Jaguar will be able to outsource some of their production, keeping costs down and allowing them to use their factories for other vehicles. That means moving forward on hitting carbon emission targets and getting electric cars out at a faster pace.

New NAFA website and webinars:  NAFA Fleet Management Association (NAFA) has unveiled a new website,  which is providing more value to the memberships and visitors. It was redesigned to be easy to navigate and mobile device responsive. You can also view listings for upcoming clean transportation webinars in the Upcoming Events area. “Electrifying Your Fleet: How the latest technologies can significantly reduce the infrastructure and operating costs of driving on electricity,” will take place on August 16 and will be presented by charging infrastructure supplier ChargePoint. “Case Studies of Green Fleet Activities in Canada” will take place on October 18 and will be presented by Fleet Challenge.

For Today: Electrified Hyundai Kona, Uber facing more upheaval

Hyundai Kona:  Hyundai will be offering electrified versions of its new Kona crossover SUV. While the 2018 Hyundai Kona is scheduled to come to the U.S. later this year, it’s not clear which electrified options will be available and if any of those variations will come to the U.S. The all-electric model is supposed to come out in 2018 and will have range of about 240 miles; though that will likely be fewer miles in the U.S. under the Environmental Protection Agency rating. “Clean mobility is a core strategy of the Hyundai Motor Company in the future,” the company said during unveiling of the Kona in Seoul. It could join the Ionic as part of the Korean automaker’s ambitious global strategy for green vehicle introductions. All three electrified versions of the Ioniq were displayed on the freeway side of the Hyundai’s U.S. headquarters office recently.

Electric Transit postal vans:  Deutsche Post, Germany’s postal carrier, has entered an agreement with Ford’s German subsidiary, Ford-Werke GmbH, to manufacture battery-electric vans. The chassis of the Ford Transit will be used by Deutsche Post and fitted to a battery-electric drive train. The German postal carrier had previously designed and produced the all-electric smaller van StreetScooter. The new van will be larger and offer more shipping capacity. Production with Ford will start next month. The target is to build and deliver at least 2,500 vehicles before the end of 2018, which would make Deutsche Post DHL Group the largest manufacturer of battery-electric medium-duty delivery vehicles in Europe, the company said.

Uber upheaval:  Uber board member David Bonderman is leaving the company after making a disparaging comment to another board member, Arianna Huffington. After Huffington talked about how having one woman on the board often leads to more women joining, Bonderman said, “Actually, what it shows is that it’s much more likely to be more talking.” This followed news of CEO Travis Kalanick taking a leave of absence from the company, and a plan released by the company Tuesday that more accountability will be brought to executives for their actions. Huffington has been part of a panel investigating allegations made by a female ex-employee back in February over sexual harassment by an Uber executive. Earlier this month, Uber fired 20 employees over harassment, discrimination, and inappropriate behavior stemming from the February blog post by the female ex-employee. This has been a stormy year for Uber that includes an intensive court room battle with Alphabet’s Waymo subsidiary in its claims against Uber stealing its intellectual property for self-driving cars. Uber’s main U.S. competitor, Lyft, seems to be benefiting from the storm Uber is under, and continues to add partner companies to its future.

For Today: Plug-in vehicle sales in May, Pope Francis receives Ampera-e

How plug-in sales performed:  The Toyota Prius Prime led U.S. plug-in vehicle sales for the second month in a row, beating the Chevy Volt 1,908 units sold over 1,817, respectively. The Volt barely nudged out the Tesla Model X, which came in at an estimated 1,800 units sold last month, according to HybridCars. The Model X beat the Model S, with the Model S coming in at about 1,700 units sold. All of the top selling vehicles were up from the previous month with the Model X leading the pack by doubling sales over April. Both Tesla models and the Chevy Volt and Bolt were up over April and over May 2016. Plug-in hybrids did very well overall compared to last month and one year ago. Hybrid vehicles also saw a good month with May sales up 9% over April and 10.4% over May 2016. The Toyota Prius beat the Ford Fusion Hybrid in sales during May.

Waymo self-driving trucks:  Alphabet’s Waymo autonomous vehicle division is testing out its self-driving technology on a Class 8 heavy-duty Peterbilt truck. Testing has been taking place on a private test track in California. Highway testing is to be conducted later this year in Arizona, the company said. This is taking place as Waymo continues its legal battle with Uber over alleged intellectual property theft used in the Otto autonomous truck startup that Uber had acquired. Now Waymo is getting into trucking its own way. “We’re taking our eight years of experience in building self-driving hardware and software and conducting a technical exploration into how our technology can integrate into a truck,” said the company in a statement.

Opel Ampera-e in Vatican City:  Pope Francis, who does believe climate change is real, has accepted the keys to a new Opel Ampera-e (aka Chevy Bolt). Opel CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann delivered the all-electric sedan, which is contributing to Vatican City’s goal to become the first carbon free country in the world through the use of electric mobility and renewable energy. “We are proud that we as Opel can contribute to the ambitious goals of the Vatican City. Our new Ampera-e will make electric mobility feasible for everyday use without any compromises,” said Neumann.

For Today: Republic Services triples RNG use / Hyundai reveals electric bus

Republic Services tripling RNG:  Waste disposal company Republic Services will be increasing its usage of renewable natural gas (RNG) by three times what it used in 2016 in its CNG-powered refuse trucks through an expanded agreement with Clean Energy. Clean Energy’s Redeem brand of RNG fuel will be deployed across Republic’s CNG-fleet in 20 states. Republic will be able to reduce its fleet emissions by approximately 110,000 metric tons of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) over a three-year period, which is equal to planting 2.8 million trees or removing 23,200 cars from the road. Using RNG and alternative fuel trucks will combine with intelligent routing and the company’s One Fleet maintenance initiative will help the company hits its greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets.

Texas blocks Tesla:  The Texas state legislature has voted down two bills that would have allowed Tesla the right to directly sell its electric vehicles in the state. That was a tough call for Tesla, with Texas being the nation’s’ second largest auto retailing market after California. The company is close to starting production of the Model 3, and losing out on the Texas market will affect its future sales. That legislative battle has been dragged out for years in a state that Tesla had once considered setting up its Gigactory within.

Hyundai electric bus:  Hyundai just revealed the Elec City electric bus during an event in Korea. It has a 256 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery and a 240 kW electric motor, delivering a driving range of 180 miles. Fast charging capability will enable a full recharging in just over an hour. Production and sales begin in 2018. No word yet on whether it will stay in Korea or go overseas to compete with electric bus makers BYD and Proterra.

For Today: Canada bringing out ZEV policy in 2018, Two significant events coming up

Canada adopting ZEV policy: Canada will be developing a national policy supporting more adoption of zero emission vehicles for release next year. The ministries of Transport and Innovation, Science and Economic Development will work with provincial and territorial partners, industry, and stakeholders, to promote sales and infrastructure for battery electric, plug-in hybrid, and fuel cell vehicles. An Advisory Group has been set up to explore five key barriers for greater adoption of these vehicles: vehicle supply, cost and benefits of ownership, infrastructure readiness, public awareness, and clean growth and clean jobs. The national government has been funding more charging stations and alternative fuel gas stations including hydrogen and natural gas.

Resolving differing fuel economy policies:  Six U.S. senators introduced legislation Friday to bring consistency to the practice of transferring fleetwide credits earned under National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Environmental Protection Agency emissions programs. It’s been asked for by automakers since last year, but is finding opposition from environmental and consumer advocacy groups concerned it weaken federal emission standards. The Fuel Economy Harmonization Act is aimed at correcting statutory differences between the programs related to the expiration date, amount and type of credits manufacturers can earn in one model year and apply to another. Regulators would also be called upon to harmonize other aspects of their programs.

Nissan selling stake in AESC:  Nissan is close to selling its stake in battery supplier AESC (Automotive Energy Supply Corp.), which has supplied battery cells and modules to the Nissan Leaf, e-NV200, and a few Renault models. The Japanese automaker has owned a 51% stake and NEC Corp. the remaining 49%.  Nissan will be selling its stake to Chinese private equity firm GSR Capital for $1 billion in a deal expected to be signed within two weeks.

Two events to watch for: EV Roadmap 10 and ITEC2017
The EV Roadmap Conference brings together stakeholders from utilities, local governments, vehicle manufacturers, charging providers, interest groups, and drivers to explore emerging trends, share best practices, and map the road ahead. Produced by Forth (formerly Drive Oregon), the event will take place June 20-21 in Portland, Ore. Attendees will explore widespread electric vehicle adoption and the supportive ecosystem needed for it to succeed.

ITEC2017 is aimed at helping the industry in the transition from conventional vehicles to advanced electrified vehicles. IEEE’s Transportation Electrification Conference & Expo will be held June 22-24 in Chicago. The conference is focused on components, systems, standards, and grid interface technologies, related to efficient power conversion for all types of electrified transportation, including electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles; as well as heavy-duty, rail, and off-road vehicles and airplanes and ships.