Clean Car Standards
EPA
Argues California ‘Non-Road’ Air Waiver Justified Despite SAFE Rule. According
to Inside EPA, “EPA is arguing that an Obama-era Clean Air Act (CAA) preemption waiver allowing California to implement stricter emissions rules for ‘non-road’ diesel engines was ‘well-reasoned’ and should be upheld, rebutting industry claims that the agency’s
withdrawal of the state’s vehicle greenhouse gas rule waiver supports rescinding the off-road waiver. ‘In its 2013 analysis applying the ‘case-by-case’ interpretation, EPA reasonably determined, among other things, that ‘there continues to be a strong need
for emission reductions from all emission categories, including the in-use nonroad [diesel] fleet,’ to meet the particulate matter [PM] and ozone national ambient air quality standards,’ attorneys for EPA say in a Sept. 4 supplemental brief in Dalton Trucking
Inc., et al., v. EPA, et al. in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. ‘EPA found, among other things, that California has a ‘greater level of nonattainment’ than other states with respect to the’ national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) ‘for
PM2.5 and ozone set in 2006 and 2008 respectively,’ the brief adds. ‘On the totality of the record before it, EPA then reasonably concluded that opponents of the waiver had not met their burden to demonstrate that California’s set of Off-Road Diesel Fleet
Requirements fail to meaningfully contribute to the amelioration of ‘serious air quality problems in California.’’ EPA’s brief responds to an Aug. 5 supplemental brief filed by the trucking and construction industry petitioners.” [Inside EPA,
9/8/20
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States
Sustainability
Tip: Learn About Electric Vehicles And The Future Of Transportation With This Workshop.
According
to Vail Daily News, “Interested in being part of the electric vehicle (EV) charge station network that are popping up like wildflowers across Colorado? Curious about offering your employees commuting options that will get them to work on and save everyone
money? Want to learn more about transitioning your business’s fleet to electric? Eager to adapt to changes caused by Coronavirus to keep your business going… even from home? In the Actively Green Smart Commuting and Alternative Guest Transport Workshop, professionals
from Holy Cross Energy, Southwest Energy Efficiency Project, and Climate Action Collaborative will connect your business with the resources, tools, guidance and knowledge you’ll need to retain your competitive edge, reduce operational costs while improving
employee benefits, and adapt to the coronavirus pandemic, which as you likely noticed, has a very uncertain conclusion. The workshop is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 3 p.m., and will be hosted virtually. Changes in state- and county-wide transportation
infrastructure and assets are inevitable over the next few years. These changes, and what they will entail, are educated predictions reflective of the Colorado Energy Office’s current expectation that just nine years from now, one million EVs will be traveling
the I-70 corridor each year. One million is a large number, but how does that compare to Colorado’s population? It’s less than 20% of the state’s population. But that proportion might grow as electric vehicles continue to become available at lower and lower
prices.” [Vail Daily News, 9/8/20
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Election
2020
Parsing
Biden’s Electric Vehicle Policies.
According to the Washington Examiner, “Strengthening fuel economy standards would prompt the biggest increase in U.S. electric car sales, Wood Mackenzie found in a new report Tuesday analyzing the three policies Biden has proposed to boost electric vehicles.
Stricter fuel economy targets would force automakers to make more efficient and lower-emissions cars, the analysis says. Wood Mackenzie expects stricter regulations would push U.S. electric car sales 50% higher than their base case projects, to more than 4
million by 2030. If Biden expanded EV tax credits, by increasing the sales cap to 600,000, it could boost more than 7.5 million new EV sales, according to Wood Mackenzie. That would especially help Tesla and General Motors, both of which have already reached
the tax credit’s current cap of 200,000. However, Biden’s pledge to deploy 500,000 new public electric car chargers would likely have a minimal effect on electric car sales, unless significant investments were made in fast chargers that could alleviate people’s
range anxiety. Wood Mackenzie already projects the U.S. will deploy 800,000 new public car chargers by 2030, so Biden’s promise ‘rings hollow considering organic growth is projected to be higher,’ said Ram Chandrasekaran, principal analyst at Wood Mackenzie.”
[Washington Examiner, 9/8/20
(=)]
Congress
Another
Setback For Transit? According
to Politico, “Senate
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and transit advocates on Friday ripped a FEMA rule change that they say would pull money for disinfecting trains and buses. FEMA is slated to implement an interim policy that will limit federal public assistance for Covid-19 response
efforts on Sept. 15. CNN reported that state officials were briefed last Tuesday about the changes, which would nix reimbursements for disinfecting supplies for schools and other public facilities, among other things. A FEMA spokesperson told MT the update
would ‘clarify’ eligible work under the public assistance program. However, Schumer said in a statement that FEMA was ‘back peddling’ on transit aid. ‘Under the original policy, the disinfection of eligible public facilities like the subways was allowed to
protect public health and safety.’ he said. ‘This is no longer the case.’ The Tri-State Transportation Campaign — a nonprofit advocacy group representing New York, New Jersey and Connecticut — also slammed FEMA for snatching federal dollars from the Metropolitan
Transportation Authority as it faces ‘an unprecedented fiscal crisis.’ ‘This is a devastating shot to our nation’s economy, not to mention a slap in the face to thousands of frontline workers who rely on transit and risked their lives to save us from the worst
pandemic in over a century,’ the group said. An agency spokesperson said that ‘FEMA will continue to support the reimbursement of costs required in response to the pandemic for medical care, non-congregate medical sheltering, emergency operations centers for
Covid, and other eligible emergency services as listed in the policy.’ But, per the statement, ‘FEMA is not authorized to support the day-to-day operations and operational expenses of facilities.’” [Politico,
9/8/20
(=)]
Auto Manufacturers
GM's $2B Stake In Nikola Shakes Up Truck Market.
According to E&E News, “General Motors Co. said yesterday it will invest $2 billion in
Nikola Corp., giving the Detroit auto giant an 11% stake in an electric truck startup that’s vying for a head-to-head battle with Tesla Inc. and other heavy-duty electric vehicle makers. GM will help Nikola engineer and manufacture its hydrogen fuel cell-powered
and battery-powered trucks, including Nikola’s Badger truck. GM will also supply the 6-year-old company, based in Phoenix, with GM’s own hydrogen fuel cell technology as part of the deal. While Nikola will retain the Badger brand, GM will receive a $2 billion
equity stake in the company and the ability to nominate a director to the company’s board. All told, GM stands to gain more than $4 billion in benefits from the deal, the companies said. Nikola will get access to GM’s supplier and manufacturing knowledge,
engineering experience, and investor confidence, Nikola founder and Executive Chairman Trevor Milton said in a statement. In addition, the company expects to save over $4 billion in battery and powertrain costs over the course of 10 years and $1 billion or
more in engineering and validation costs from the partnership. ‘By joining together, we get access to their validated parts for all of our programs, General Motors’ Ultium battery technology and a multi-billion dollar fuel-cell program ready for production,’
Milton said. The partnership sets up GM to be the only U.S.-based supplier of fuel cells for Nikola Class 7 and 8 heavy-duty commercial trucks, according to the companies. The legacy automaker announced in March that it was developing its own EV battery, the
Ultium, and first tested a hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle in 1966.” [E&E News,
9/9/20
(=)]
VW CEO Tests Tesla Model Y, Calls It A VW ‘Reference’ Car.
According to Electrek, “VW CEO Hebert Diess revealed that after having Elon Musk test
drive the ID.3, he himself test-drove the Tesla Model Y, which he says is a ‘reference’ car for the Germany automaker. Much has been said about the meeting between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and VW Hebert Diess last week. Yesterday, the latter confirmed that there’s
no deal in the making between the two automakers and that it was basically just Diess checking out Musk’s latest electric car. Today, Diess added that he test-drove Model Y, and he had this to say: Of course I also tested a Tesla Model Y — with my colleague
Frank Welsch. This car is for us in many aspects (not in all!) a reference: user experience, updatability, driving features, performance of the top of the range models, charging network, range. He shared the following image from his Model Y test drive: It’s
not the first time that Diess has praised Tesla, especially when it comes to the user experience and software updates. VW has had issues with the ID.3’s software, which is rumored to have been part of the reason why the German automaker started production
of the electric car last year and is only now about to deliver it. The head of Volkswagen
also implemented what he internally called the ‘Tesla catch-up plan’ in order to close the software gap between the German automaker and Tesla. In his comment about the Model Y test drive today, Diess also added a slight criticism aimed at automakers who don’t
build their electric cars from the ground up: Big advantage: Model Y was/is thought through as an electric car — as is the ID.3. Many of our competitors still using their ICE platforms. The result: They aren’t getting the best EVs.” [Electrek,
9/8/20
(=)]
GM Joins The Stock Market’s Electric-Vehicle Party.
According to the Wall Street Journal, “You wouldn’t know it from its share price, but
General Motors GM 7.93% has done everything it can to please Wall Street in recent years. Its latest offering: a deal with stock-market sensation Nikola. NKLA 40.79% The transaction announced by the companies on Tuesday morning, which involves no transfer
of money, is elegantly structured to meet strategic objectives on both sides. GM gets an 11% stake in a potential industry disrupter and the promise of higher manufacturing volumes for its new all-electric battery platform, Ultium. Nikola gets to piggyback
off GM’s engineering, supply-chain and assembly assets for the rollout of its electric pickup truck, the Badger. Given the production problems Tesla has experienced in its quest to reinvent the car, Nikola’s decision to stick to design and contract out manufacturing
seems smart. Investors, who were disappointed that Nikola had no news to report alongside second-quarter earnings last month, sent the shares up 41% Tuesday despite the prospect of a roughly 13% dilution of existing shareholders. GM stock, which should now
benefit mechanically from Nikola’s success, rose 7.9%. Nikola’s primary focus isn’t battery-powered consumer vehicles suited to GM’s Ultium platform but big rigs equipped with a hydrogen tank and fuel cell. Here, too, GM can help: It will supply Nikola’s commercial
trucks, which will be made at a new factory in Arizona, with fuel cells developed in partnership with Honda. HMC -2.54% These fuel cells can also go into the Badger, which Nikola is offering in both battery and fuel-cell electric combinations.” [Wall Street
Journal, 9/8/20
(=)]
GM Stock Jumps On News Of Stake In Electric-Vehicle Company Nikola.
According to the Wall Street Journal, “General Motors Co. GM 7.93% ‘s shares jumped after
the auto maker said it would help an electric-truck startup develop and manufacture new models, the latest example of investor infatuation with electric vehicles. In exchange for its services, GM said it would receive an 11% stake in Nikola Corp., NKLA 40.79%
a would-be rival in the market for electrified pickups. Shares of both companies surged. Nikola rose 41% to $50.05 on Tuesday. GM shares finished up 8%, at $32.28. The deal marks the latest tie-up between traditional auto makers and upstarts trying to break
into the car business, and showcases GM’s strategy of providing its electric-vehicle technology to others. Under the deal, GM will provide electric batteries and fuel cells for Nikola’s trucks, including its future Badger pickup truck, which GM will manufacture
at a still-undisclosed location. GM will receive $2 billion in stock and a seat on Nikola’s board. The agreement is part of GM’s strategy to monetize its electric-vehicle technology by supplying battery cells and other components to outside companies, which
will generate revenue and help drive down costs, GM has said. ‘This does validate our technology,’ GM Chief Executive Mary Barra told reporters on a conference call. Wall Street has shown increasing enthusiasm about electric vehicles and the auto industry
is moving quickly to add more plug-in models to meet tougher environmental regulations globally on tailpipe emissions. GM has more than a dozen electric-vehicle models of its own in the works, including large pickup trucks that one day could compete with Nikola’s
Badger.” [Wall Street Journal, 9/8/20
(=)]
Breaking: GM Stakes EV Startup Nikola.
According to Axios, “General Motors is taking an 11% stake in the electric vehicle startup
Nikola Corp. and will manufacture its planned Badger pickup truck, the companies said Tuesday. Why it matters: It’s the latest vote of confidence for Nikola, which is among a number of startups that have been attracting significant capital and investor interest
before making any profits or vehicles. It also shows how legacy automakers are increasingly teaming up with startups as they position themselves to compete in emerging electrified transport markets. The impact: Nikola, which is planning both the pickup and
a line of semitrucks, was up about 29% in pre-market trading, while GM rose by more than 6%. The big picture: GM will receive a $2 billion equity stake in Nikola and will become a key technology supplier for the startup. ‘Nikola will utilize General Motors’
Ultium battery system and Hydrotec fuel cell technology,’ the companies said. GM will be the ‘exclusive supplier’ of fuel cells (outside of Europe) for the semitrucks Nikola is planning. What they’re saying: The companies said the ‘strategic partnership’ will
yield financial benefits for both parties. Nikola, which went public in June, said it expects to save over $4 billion in battery and powertrain costs over a decade. GM, meanwhile, expects to see over $4 billion in benefits via the value of its shares in Nikola,
the contract for manufacturing the Badger pickup, contracts for batteries and fuel cells, and more.” [Axios,
9/8/20
(=)]
Electric Vehicles
Uber Pledges To Shift To ‘100 Percent’ Electric Vehicles By 2030.
According to The Verge, “Uber announced Tuesday that ‘100 percent’ of rides will take place in electric vehicles by 2030 in the US,
Canada, and Europe, and by 2040 for the rest of the world. But rather than pay drivers directly to trade their gas-burning vehicles for electric ones, the company will impose an extra fee on trips completed in an electric vehicle to incentivize drivers to
make the switch. Starting today, Uber is launching its ‘Uber Green’ surcharge in 15 cities in the US and Canada. For a dollar extra, riders can specifically request a hybrid or electric vehicle. Drivers who use hybrid or electric vehicles to pick up passengers
will get an extra 50 cents per ride, while drivers using specifically battery-electric vehicles get another dollar on top of that — for a total of $1.50 extra per ride. That means trips in hybrid or electric vehicles are about to become slightly more expensive
for Uber customers, which Uber sees as a necessary cost to help speed the transition to a zero-emissions fleet. Uber will also spend $800 million of its own money to help ‘hundreds of thousands of drivers in the US, Canada, and Europe transition to battery
EVs by 2025.’ Still, Uber thinks that by using more carrot than stick, it can get better results. For example, drivers won’t be required to drive electric or hybrid vehicles to make money on Uber’s app, even by the target date of 2030. The company believes
the shift to zero emissions will be enormous and that more good will come from incentivizing drivers rather than punishing them.” [The Verge,
9/8/20
(=)]
Uber Announces $800 Million To Accelerate Transition To Electric Cars, But Only Aims For 100% Electric By 2040.
According to Electrek, “Uber announced its plan to accelerate the transition to electric cars with $800 million to help its drivers
go electric. However, it only aims for 100% of drives to be electric by 2040. Earlier today, we reported on GM partnering with Uber to help drivers buy discounted Chevy Bolt EV electric cars. It is actually just one small part of a bigger announcement from
Uber today about transitioning to electric vehicles: ‘Uber is committing to become a fully zero-emission platform by 2040, with 100% of rides taking place in zero-emission vehicles, on public transit, or with micromobility. We’re also setting an earlier goal
to have 100% of rides take place in electric vehicles (EVs) in US, Canadian, and European cities by 2030. In fact, we believe we can achieve this 2030 goal in any major city where we can work with local stakeholders to implement policies that ensure a fair
transition to EVs for drivers. In addition to our platform goals, we’re also committed to reaching net-zero emissions from our corporate operations by 2030. All told, hitting these goals would put us a decade ahead of Paris Climate Agreement targets.’ Ride-hailing
companies transitioning to electric vehicles is extremely important. Ride-hailing trips result in approximately 69% more climate pollution on average than the trips they displace, says a recent study. There are four main points to Uber’s plan: Expanding Uber
Green to make it easier for riders to choose to travel in hybrids or EVs. Committing $800 million in resources to help hundreds of thousands of drivers transition to EVs by 2025.” [Electrek,
9/8/20
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Uber Commits To 100% EVs. Will It Work?
According to E&E News, “Uber Technologies Inc. yesterday pledged to use only electric vehicles by 2030 in the United States, Canada
and Europe, and by 2040 in the rest of the world. The splashy climate announcement aligned Uber with rival Lyft Inc., which vowed to reach 100% EVs by 2030 in late June (Climatewire, June 22). It raised questions, however, about the feasibility of both companies’
commitments, according to experts who study clean transportation. On a Zoom call with reporters yesterday, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi framed the goal as a response to the coronavirus pandemic. ‘During the first lockdown,’ Khosrowshahi said, ‘we saw a glimpse
of the positive impacts of the record low emissions as a result of less transportation: blue skies replacing smog among city skylines, wildlife returning and pollution levels falling. Clogged roadways transforming into spaces for walking and cycling.’ He continued:
‘But it won’t last. Emission levels are already heading back to pre-COVID highs as recovery from the pandemic continues. ... And at Uber, we’ve been thinking about what we can do. We want to take this moment as an opportunity to do more, to do better, and
to do our part to drive a green recovery in our cities.’ In a blog post on Uber’s website, Khosrowshahi explained that the commitment includes four prongs. The first is based on expanding Uber Green, a service that allows riders to choose drivers in hybrid
and electric vehicles. The service will launch in 15 cities in the United States and Canada, including Chicago; San Francisco; Los Angeles; Seattle; Toronto; and Vancouver, British Columbia.” [E&E News,
9/8/20
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Uber Pledges To Be Emissions Free By 2040.
According to Politico, “The ride hailing app pledged Tuesday to make half of its rides emissions free by 2025 in cities including Brussels,
Berlin, London and Paris, equivalent to taking an estimated 275,000 private cars off the road in Europe. What’s more, the company wants to go fully zero emissions worldwide by 2040. ‘Covid is a big event, but compared to the threat we have at hand with climate
change, it is negligible,’ Anabel Diaz, the general manager of Uber’s rides business in Europe, Middle East and Africa, told POLITICO in an interview. When Diaz took charge in June, she inherited the part of Uber’s business that took the biggest hit during
the coronavirus pandemic as people stayed home. She says Uber’s pledge is a way to ‘give back to society.’ But it wants some pledges in return. The company wants policymakers to provide subsidies, ensure charging infrastructure for electric vehicles is in
place and tax petrol cars to encourage people to make the switch. The short-term target covers seven big European cities — Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Lisbon, London, Madrid and Paris — and promises half of the kilometers driven on aggregate to be emissions
free. ‘We should start thinking about kilometers rather than cars sold,’ said Diaz of the struggle to slash emissions. ‘Of course there’s a correlation [to total vehicles] but we know that many cars are sold for people that want a second one or have it mostly
parked.’ In addition to carbon savings, there’s a health component as well. Air pollution is a killer, with the European Environment Agency saying this week that 400,000 premature deaths are caused by smog, much of which is caused by vehicle exhaust fumes.”
[Politico, 9/8/20
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Uber Sets Goal To Reach Net-Zero Emissions By 2040.
According to Bloomberg, “Uber Technologies Inc., one of the world’s largest ride-hailing companies, is pledging to eliminate all emissions
from every trip booked on its platform globally by 2040. Uber released on Tuesday a slate of targets that it said would slash its carbon footprint. It committed to spending $800 million by 2025 to help drivers switch to battery-powered electric vehicles (EVs).
By 2030, the company expects all rides in the U.S., Canada and Europe will take place in EVs, a promise that will be extended around the world by 2040. It also pledged that all electricity used to power those rides would be carbon-free by that year. The ambitious
goals come as the unprofitable company dials back once-grand growth plans. Travel restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic have decimated Uber’s rides business, prompting mass layoffs, permanent office closures and a re-evaluation of electric bikes, job
matching and other future bets. Even once the pandemic passes, Uber and other gig economy companies face a fight over their business model, which relies on drivers working as independent contractors. California is its first battleground with residents set
to vote in November on a ballot measure to reverse a 2020 law making drivers employees, with similar battles brewing in New York and Massachusetts. Lyft Corp., Uber’s rival in the U.S. and Canada, has already committed to have all its rides be in EVs by the
end of 2030. ‘While we’re not the first to set ambitious goals in transitioning to EVs, we intend to be the first to make it happen,’ Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber’s chief executive officer, wrote in a letter.” [Bloomberg,
9/8/20
(=)]
Uber Vows Big Expansion Of Electric Rides.
According to Axios, “Uber is immediately expanding its ‘Green’ program to new cities and setting a longer-term target of having fully
electric cars account for 100% of rides on its platform in the U.S., Canadian and European cities by 2030. Why it matters: Those plans — and other new climate pledges Uber unveiled Tuesday — come as ride-hailing firms face growing scrutiny over their carbon
emissions amid evidence they’re cannibalizing public transit and increasing congestion. It follows Lyft’s vow in June to have 100% of the rides in its platform come from zero-emissions vehicles by 2030. How it works: Uber this morning announced moves, including...
Launching Uber Green program — which provides rides in EVs and hybrids — today in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Vancouver and a bunch other cities, with plans to have the program in over 30 cities by year’s end. It includes new incentives for drivers
to use EVs. An $800 million commitment aimed at helping ‘hundreds of thousands’ of Uber drivers worldwide overcome cost barriers to transitioning to EVs over the next 5 years. They’re offering incentives of up to $1.50 per ride, and rolling out new partnerships
with automakers to defray costs. New and wider steps to integrate their ride-hailing with micromobility and public transit, including a new feature that ‘integrates UberX and public transportation travel routes into one complete route.’ The big picture: Uber’s
longer-term goal is that by 2040, 100% of worldwide trips on their platform are in EVs, public transit or micromobility. ‘It’s our responsibility as the largest mobility platform in the world to more aggressively tackle the challenge of climate change,’ CEO
Dara Khosrowshahi wrote as part of a new report on the company’s climate efforts.” [Axios,
9/8/20
(=)]
Research and Analysis
Pandemic E-Commerce Surge Spurs Race For 'Tesla-Like' Electric Delivery Vans.
According to Reuters, “Delivery fleet operators face regulatory pressure in California and other states to buy electric vehicles, but
a surge in package deliveries thanks to coronavirus lockdowns has major firms itching to switch to electric right now. And they want far more than just battery-powered versions of diesel- or gas-guzzling trucks and vans. Fleet operators such as United Parcel
Service Inc (UPS.N) hunger for computers on wheels that can harvest data and upgrade safety or autonomous features overnight to save money and boost profit. ‘For us, it’s not just about making the wheels turn with a zero-emission vehicle,’ said Scott Phillippi,
UPS’s senior director of fleet maintenance and engineering, who envisions ‘Tesla-like’ vehicles in the company’s vast fleet. ‘It’s about an integrated-technology vehicle - and that’s really what we’re pushing for.’ With its ability to send wireless upgrades
and fixes to customers’ electric cars, Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) is seen as a bellwether for electrification. Major companies like UPS want to harness that power to bring cost-saving, autonomous or safety measures to their fleets in real time. If, for instance, a
manufacturer developed a feature to prevent a truck from bumping into a loading dock, UPS could have it in tens of thousands of vehicles overnight to prevent expensive dents, Phillippi said. UPS, Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O), and other e-commerce delivery companies
are both creating and shaping the emerging market for electric vans and trucks. Economics and competitive advantages created by data will drive the market for electric commercial vehicles.” [Reuters,
9/8/20
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AP | Formula One Champion Sets Up Electric Off-Road Team.
According to E&E News, “Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton has launched a team to compete in an all-electric off-road racing series,
though he won’t be behind the wheel. Hamilton said yesterday his new team will be called X44 in a nod to his F1 car number — itself derived from the number of his childhood go-kart — when the Extreme E series launches in 2021. Extreme E will race identical,
purpose-designed electric vehicles in remote locations in Senegal, Saudi Arabia, Nepal, Greenland and Brazil. Organizers say they want to raise awareness of damage to the environment and will have a legacy program to protect the areas hosting the races. There
will be no fans on site and teams will travel on a converted cargo ship with an on-board laboratory. ‘Extreme E really appealed to me because of its environmental focus,’ Hamilton said in a statement. ‘Every single one of us has the power to make a difference,
and it means so much to me that I can use my love of racing, together with my love for our planet, to have a positive impact.’ Hamilton’s team will have one male and one female driver, to be named later.” [E&E News,
9/9/20
(=)]
International
AGL Bets On Electric Vehicles Subscription Service To Boost Australia's Uptake.
According to The Guardian, “AGL, one of Australia’s largest energy companies, has launched the country’s first subscription service
for electric cars in a move that the EV industry hopes may boost the nation’s low uptake rate. The company announced a pilot phase for the new scheme, which also includes installation of charging stations at customers’ homes, to cover Sydney and Melbourne.
The industry group the Electric Vehicle Council, which last month announced sales of electric vehicles had tripled between 2018 and 2019, said AGL’s move was a glimpse into the future of the electric vehicle market. AGL said it hoped the subscription service,
available only to its own customers, would remove the barriers for people to drive electric cars – namely, the high upfront costs and the desire for a charging station at home. Under the service, subscribers pay an $800 set-up fee and then a weekly price for
a car starting at $299 that includes the installation of a charging station as well as insurance, maintenance and registration. The AGL executive John Chambers told Guardian Australia the company was looking ahead at the rapid growth of electric vehicles and
the role the vehicle’s batteries could play to store energy at homes as well as power vehicles. ‘That is a frontier for us,’ he said. The car batteries were typically six or seven times the size of the residential batteries people installed to store their
solar power. Several models of car will be available under the service, AGL said, including Nissan, Tesla, Jaguar and Hyundai. Customers would not be locked into a contract.” [The Guardian,
9/9/20
(=)]
Opinion Pieces
Op-Ed: Electric Vehicle Battery Sustainability Is A Must To Meet Climate Ambitions.
According to an op-ed by Ethan N. Elkind and Patrick R.P. Heller in Utility Dive, “Joe Biden’s clean energy agenda envisions significant uptake of zero-emission vehicles. The plan
calls for large-scale public investments in electric vehicle (EV) research, manufacturing and infrastructure, and consumer incentives to buy EVs, among other policies. These commitments are vital to achieving long-term climate goals, as EVs generate approximately
50% fewer greenhouse gas emissions over the life of the vehicle than internal combustion engines, and perform even better in areas with higher availability of renewable energy. But to achieve these essential goals, governments and companies must complement
electrification policies with enhanced commitments to more transparency across the battery supply chain and better governance in the countries that produce battery minerals. We come to this issue from different perspectives. One of us has spent a decade researching
policies to increase deployment of EVs as a crucial climate solution. The other has devoted his career to promoting accountability and economic development in natural resource-dependent countries. We both hope that dramatic growth in EV use can create a virtuous
cycle — reducing global emissions, supporting clean technology jobs in the U.S., and creating opportunities for citizens of mineral-rich (but often low-income) countries. But these gains will hardly be automatic, and industry and government leaders must deepen
efforts to tackle the risks of abuses that can thwart climate and development ambitions.” [Utility Dive,
9/8/20 (+)]
Chad Ellwood
Senior Research Associate
Climate Action Campaign
202.448.2877 ext. 119