Congress

 

Climate Law Leaves Out EV Chargers For Federal Fleet. According to E&E News, “As Democratic senators negotiated provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act, they decided to cut a key investment for electrifying the federal fleet: hundreds of millions of dollars for charging infrastructure. The law signed by President Joe Biden last week is the largest-ever investment in clean energy from Congress, and it includes measures that will spur EV innovation and access. But as the bill was scaled down from its failed predecessor, the ‘Build Back Better Act,’ lawmakers dropped a $690 million allocation to the General Services Administration that would have funded EV infrastructure for the 600,000 vehicles in the federal fleet. Such investment is needed to meet Biden’s executive order calling for zero-emission vehicles to make up 100 percent of light-duty government vehicle purchases by 2027. The omission stands out as a ‘huge missed opportunity,’ said Dorothy Robyn, a senior fellow at the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation’s Center for Clean Energy Innovation. ‘It takes green to go green,’ Robyn said in an interview. The scrapped allocation was among many provisions to not make the cut as lawmakers pared down the $1.7 trillion Build Back Better Act and turned it into the $740 billion Inflation Reduction Act. But Robyn said that federal sustainability initiatives often fall by the wayside; the money, she lamented, ‘had to come out of someplace.’” [E&E News, 8/22/22 (=)]

 

Climate Bill To Boost EV Investment. According to Axios, “Welcome to the new Battery Belt — a string of Rust Belt cities transitioning to an electric vehicle future along with areas of the Deep South. Driving the news: The climate bill President Biden signed into law last week opens up tens of billions of dollars in subsidies for high-tech EV plants, Axios’ Joann Muller reports. State of play: One of the state’s partners in expanding EV infrastructure, San Francisco-based Volta, will be at the Detroit Pistons Performance Center today along with Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist to spotlight new charger sites and efforts to help cities apply for this new federal funding. Why it matters: The package is a massive down payment on addressing climate change and moving toward energy independence as the U.S. races to build a domestic supply chain for batteries and other critical materials. It could also be a major economic jolt for the large swath of the country some are now calling the Battery Belt, where post-industrial cities are hoping to ride the next wave of wide scale manufacturing in the U.S. Zoom in: Ford, General Motors and Stellantis are already pouring billions into new EV and battery manufacturing in the region, including facilities in Dearborn, Hamtramck and Windsor, Ontario. Now automakers and battery suppliers are eligible for billions of dollars in federal loans and tax credits, helping to offset those costs and spur additional investments.” [Axios, 8/22/22 (=)]

 

Manchin Nearly Killed EV Credit With Take-It-Or-Leave-It Threat. According to Bloomberg Law, “Senator Joe Manchin said he was willing to kill a popular consumer tax credit for the purchase of electric vehicles if the industry didn’t adhere to controversial new sourcing requirements, giving automakers a take-it-or-leave-it ultimatum that finally got both sides to agree. The admission, made Friday at a town hall in Charleston, West Virginia, shed light on how the lawmaker came to support a credit he described earlier this year as ‘ludicrous.’ With Manchin’s backing, the EV piece was part of the sweeping legislative package that was signed by President Joe Biden earlier this week.” [Bloomberg Law, 8/19/22 (=)]

 

Inflation Reduction Act Concerns, Shortfalls Seen By EV, Clean Energy, Environmental Leaders. According to Smart Cities Dive, “Automakers, clean-vehicle advocates, environmentalists and others have expressed concerns about several electric vehicle provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act, the climate and healthcare legislation President Joe Biden signed into law on Tuesday. The act contains $386 billion for energy and climate-related programs, including an extension and modification of the $7,500 electric vehicle tax credit. The law adds a $4,000 credit for the purchase of used EVs along with tax credits for the purchase of commercial medium- and heavy-duty trucks and credits for home and commercial EV charging installations in rural and lower-income communities. While many have applauded the extension of the EV tax credits, the new domestic manufacturing, assembly and procurement requirements face criticism from multiple stakeholders. The legislation stipulates that only EVs assembled in North America will qualify for the clean vehicle tax credit. ‘As currently written, the material, component and assembly requirements in the Clean Vehicle Credit will immediately reduce (by a lot) the number of qualifying electric vehicles available to consumers for purchase with the tax credit,’ said John Bozzella, president and CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, in a statement.” [Smart Cities Dive, 8/19/22 (=)]

 

Agencies

 

An Earful On EV Charging. According to Politico, “Today is the deadline for the comment period on the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure formula program, which will provide $1 billion per year for the next five years to build out a national charging network. FHWA has already received well over a hundred comments, and they highlight some of the implementation issues that DOT will wrestle with in the coming months. HOW MANY CHARGERS? The Transportation Departments of Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming had a slew of concerns, from the number of chargers required at each station to Buy America rules to what constitutes a ‘reasonable return on investment.’ Ford Motor Company and the Dairyland Power Cooperative also argued that the requirements for the number of chargers per station needed to be eased. The Zero Emission Transportation Association said four chargers per station is reasonable but they shouldn’t all have to be fast chargers. And the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet asked DOT to extend the current Buy America waiver for EV infrastructure. YOU CAN’T DO THAT: The autonomous and electric truck company Einride wants to make sure that truck chargers aren’t required to be available to the general public. TravelCenters of America supported most elements of the proposed rule but wanted to ensure transparency in third party bidding and pricing.” [Politico, 8/22/22 (=)]

 

Manufacturers & Fleets

 

These Electric Vehicles Qualify For Tax Credits Under The Inflation Reduction Act. According to CBS, “2022 models that likely qualify for a tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act BMW 330e and X5 Chrysler Pacifica PHEV Ford F Series Ford Escape PHEV and Mustang MACH E Ford Transit Van Jeep Grand Cherokee PHEV and Jeep Wrangler PHEV Lincoln Aviator PHEV and Corsair Plug-in Lucid Air Nissan Leaf Rivian EDV, R1S and R1T Volvo S60 2023 models that likely qualify: BMW 330e Mercedes EQS SUV Nissan Leaf That list doesn’t include the most popular EVs sold in the U.S., including those made by Tesla. While they’re assembled in North America, they don’t currently qualify for the credit because their makers have gone over a sales cap allowed under a previous law. That sales cap will be lifted in 2023, when other requirements, including those on batteries, come into play. As a result, these electric cars are ineligible for a credit under the new inflation law: Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV; GMC Hummer Pickup and SUV; and Tesla Model 3, Model S, Model X and Model Y vehicles. The agency didn’t specify whether any EVs made by Toyota are eligible for a tax break.” [CBS, 8/19/22 (=)]

 

Ford Motor Co.

 

Is Final Gas Mustang Coming As Ford Makes Way For Mustang EV? According to Inside EVs, “According to Autoweek, based on a report by AutoForecast Solutions, the final gas-powered Ford Mustang will go into production in March 2023 as a 2024 model. Sources familiar with the matter claim that a fully electric Mustang will likely come to market in 2028 as a 2029 model, completely replacing the gas-powered pony car. The report goes on to suggest that the future Mustang EV will ride on the same platform as the Mustang Mach-E electric crossover, which is likely to see some changes over the years. Regardless, Autoweek writes that in its current form, the Mach-E’s battery chemistry and technology should help make a future Mustang EV a success. Ford CEO Jim Farley recently announced that the automaker will show off an all-new Mustang at the next Detroit Auto show. However, people weren’t sure if he was referring to a previously mentioned hybrid version, a fully electric version, or simply the next-gen gas-powered Mustang. Sources told Autoweek that the Mustang Farley was referring to isn’t a hybrid. While the Mustang EV is expected to follow the upcoming gas-powered generation, Ford probably won’t reveal the EV ahead of the Gen VII Mustang that it will eventually replace. We’ll have to wait and see what Ford has up its sleeve for the Detroit show.” [Inside EVs, 8/18/22 (=)]

 

Ford Mustang Mach-E Now Being Used By FBI. According to Inside EVs, “A Ford Mustang Mach-E was recently spotted in full FBI livery. The photo was shared on Reddit by user u/skyflyer8, who uploaded it onto r/electricvehicles. Although Ford’s electric crossover is currently being used by a number of police departments throughout the US, this is the first time an FBI Mach-E has been seen. It’s also seemingly the first time the bureau has ever had an electric car in active service. It’s not too surprising that the FBI’s first EV is a Mach-E. After all, Ford vehicles have dominated government fleets for years. Back in the 1990s and 2000s, the Ford Crown Victoria was heavily in use. It was succeeded in the early 2010s by the Taurus, which itself was eventually phased out by the Explorer SUV. And now it appears the Mach-E is next in line. For law enforcement, EVs make a lot of sense. Lower running costs are the main incentive, however performance is another major bonus. For example, police departments typically choose the Extended-Range AWD Mach-E which is capable of 0-60 mph in just 4.8 seconds.” [Inside EVs, 8/20/22 (=)]

 

Fisker

 

Fisker Looks To Expand Production Of The ‘Ocean’. According to Electrive, “The electric car startup Fisker has announced that it is considering increasing production at contract manufacturer Magna in Graz beyond the previously planned 50,000 units per year from 2024 due to the high level of interest in its Ocean electric SUV. In addition, Fisker is looking into producing the Ocean in the US. The US plans, which the company mentions in a statement, are also likely driven by the requirement of the reformed US tax credit to final assemble the cars in North America – cars imported into the US from Graz are no longer eligible. However, Fisker does not specify what exactly the US plans are. What we do know is that the company wants to keep its own organisation as lean as possible and therefore does not have its own plants. Therefore, as is well known, the Ocean is produced at Magna in Austria. For the US production of the electric SUV, manufacturing at Foxconn in Lordstown would be conceivable – Fisker is already cooperating with the contract manufacturer for the second model ‘Pear’, which is to be built in the factory in Ohio. What speaks against this is that the Ocean is based on an electric vehicle architecture from Magna. So it is also possible that the Canadian company will build the Ocean for Fisker in its own plant in North America. As far as the possible increase in production in Graz is concerned, Fisker does not give any concrete figures in its current announcement. However, as reported, company boss Henrik Fisker had expressed confidence in an interview in May that Magna could triple production of the Ocean to 150,000 vehicles from 2024.” [Electrive, 8/22/22 (=)]

 

Geely

 

50% Of Geely Vehicle Sales To Be Electric By 2023. According to Electrive, “The Chinese carmaker Geely is accelerating its transition to electric vehicles, as was revealed in the company’s financial report for the first half of 2022. The company aims to make 50 per cent of its overall sales electric by 2023. The carmaker’s vehicle sales fell 9 per cent in the first half of the year due to Corona restrictions in China, the chip crisis and the increased cost of raw materials. But while combustion engine sales fell by 20 per cent – electric and hybrid models rose by around 400 per cent to 109,000 units, accounting for almost 18 per cent of the company’s sales, which includes the Geometry, Lynk & Co, Zeekr and Livan brands. Over 70 per cent of these electric models (BEV, PHEV & HEV) were purely battery-electric models (BEV). Just over 20 per cent were plug-in hybrids (PHEV), and less than 10 per cent were hybrids (HEV). Geely chief executive Jerry Gan said that by the second half of 2022, sales of all-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids should already account for more than 30 per cent of total sales. In the first half of this year, overseas markets made up 14.3 per cent of the company’s total sales, which marks an increase of 64 per cent. Geely says it is aiming to increase overseas market sales to 20 per cent by 2025.” [Electrive, 8/21/22 (=)]

 

General Motor Corp.

 

GM Restores Quarterly Dividend After More Than Two Years. According to Reuters, “General Motors Co (GM.N) said on Friday it would reinstate quarterly dividend payouts, suggesting the automaker was confident it was past the worst risks from the pandemic and the economic turbulence of the past several months. The automaker had suspended dividend payments and share buybacks in April 2020 after the global coronavirus pandemic hit sales and impacted production, forcing the company to conserve cash during the crisis. The first dividend, at the rate of 9 cents per share on the company’s common stock, will be paid on Sept. 15, 2022, the carmaker said in a statement. GM Chief Executive Mary Barra cited the company’s electric vehicle (EV) expansion and domestic battery manufacturing infrastructure plans and said, ‘progress on these key strategic initiatives has improved our visibility and strengthened confidence in our capacity to fund growth while also returning capital to shareholders.’” [Reuters, 8/19/22 (=)]

 

GM Reinstates Dividend, Share Buybacks After Two-Year Hiatus. According to Bloomberg, “General Motors Co. is reinstating its dividend -- at a sharply reduced level -- and resuming share buybacks more than two years after they were suspended to preserve cash in the early days of the pandemic. The Detroit automaker will pay a quarterly dividend of 9 cents a share beginning Sept. 15, according to a statement Friday. GM had halted its 38-cent payout in April 2020. The company is also restarting its buyback program, which will be expanded to $5 billion from the $3.3 billion remaining under the prior plan. The decision was made in part because of momentum GM is seeing in other efforts, including electric-vehicle development and battery manufacturing, Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra said in the statement. ‘Progress on these key strategic initiatives has improved our visibility and strengthened confidence in our capacity to fund growth while also returning capital to shareholders.’ GM’s shareholder-pleasing effort reflects Barra’s confidence the company can fund this give-back while still being committed to spending $35 billion on more than 30 plug-in vehicles by 2025 and four EV battery plants. The shares rose 3.2% at 9:35 a.m. in New York.” [Bloomberg, 8/19/22 (=)]

 

Honda Motor Corp.

 

Hyundai Motor May Speed Up Construction Of U.S. EV Plant, Yonhap Reports. According to Reuters, “A new U.S. law excluding electric vehicles assembled outside North America from tax credits could persuade South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co (005380.KS) to bring forward the start-date for construction of an EV and battery plant in the United States to as early as this year, Yonhap news agency reported on Monday. Hyundai Motor said in May that it would break ground on its new facility in Georgia in early 2023, with commercial production starting in the first half of 2025 with an annual capacity of 300,000 units. But the company is now considering starting construction later this year in order to begin commercial production in the second half of 2024, Yonhap reported, citing an unidentified auto industry source. Hyundai Motor was not immediately available for comment. U.S. President Joe Biden signed into law on Aug. 16 a $430 billion bill, which ends tax credits for about 70% of the 72 EV models that were previously eligible. read more As a result, EVs sold by Hyundai Motor, Kia Corp (000270.KS), Toyota (7203.T) and others are no longer eligible for the tax credits. South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin expressed concerns over the new U.S. legislation during a call with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week, according to a foreign ministry official.” [Reuters, 8/22/22 (=)]

 

Acura Announces Ultium-Based Electric Vehicle. According to Electrive, “Honda’s Acura subsidiary brand announces its first all-electric model. The electric SUV will be called Acura ZDX and is scheduled for market launch in 2024. Acura provides a preview of the electric vehicle in the form of the Precision EV Concept. Like the Honda Prologue, the Acura ZDX will use the Ultium platform from General Motors. From 2026 onwards, the premium brand plans to launch further electric models based on Honda’s own e:Architecture platform. As mentioned, the Precision EV Concept is meant to give a preview of Acura’s first electric car. The concept car celebrated its debut at the Monterey Car Week. However, it is initially only a design concept. Accordingly, the press release is only dedicated to the design of the vehicle. There are no technical details yet. Only that the purely electric SUV will use the Ultium platform from General Motors. However, the Acura ZDX will also be launched as the ZDX Type S. Thus, two variants are apparently planned – a more conventional and a more performance-oriented version. Honda’s plans for electric cars with GM technology already became concrete in January last year. At that time it became known that GM would build one battery-electric crossover model each for the Honda and Acura brands with its Ultium batteries. Honda’s first all-electric model based on General Motors’ Ultium platform for North America will be called Prologue and will be launched in early 2024. In the same year, as already mentioned, an electric model based on Ultium will also follow from Acura.” [Electrive, 8/19/22 (=)]

 

Hyundai Motor Co.

 

Hyundai Motor May Speed Up Construction Of U.S. EV Plant, Yonhap Reports. According to Reuters, “A new U.S. law excluding electric vehicles assembled outside North America from tax credits could persuade South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co (005380.KS) to bring forward the start-date for construction of an EV and battery plant in the United States to as early as this year, Yonhap news agency reported on Monday. Hyundai Motor said in May that it would break ground on its new facility in Georgia in early 2023, with commercial production starting in the first half of 2025 with an annual capacity of 300,000 units. But the company is now considering starting construction later this year in order to begin commercial production in the second half of 2024, Yonhap reported, citing an unidentified auto industry source. Hyundai Motor was not immediately available for comment. U.S. President Joe Biden signed into law on Aug. 16 a $430 billion bill, which ends tax credits for about 70% of the 72 EV models that were previously eligible. read more” [Reuters, 8/22/22 (=)]

 

Hyundai Ioniq 5 Is Car And Driver's EV Of The Year. According to Inside EVs, “Car and Driver just announced that it choose the all-new Hyundai Ioniq 5 as its EV of the year for 2022. We know the publication was getting set to announce the winner since it first shared an article and video highlighting the 20 EV contenders for the award. We’ve included a link to the article and the earlier video below. It comes as no surprise that the edgy, unique, and compelling 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 came out on top in Car and Driver’s tests. It has appealed to people across the globe and already racked up plenty of awards, including multiple 2022 World Car Awards. In addition, the Ioniq 5 is a 2022 IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award winner, which is the Institute’s top honor. Car and Driver is impressed with the Ioniq 5’s innovative design. You’ll be hard-pressed to find anything else quite like it on the market today. Even its corporate cousin, the Kia EV6, which is built on the same platform, doesn’t look even remotely related to the Hyundai electric crossover. The publication goes on to praise the Ioniq 5’s modern and highly functional interior, which has generous space for passengers and their cargo. This Hyundai EV also impresses when it comes to range, charging, acceleration, and overall driving manners. It’s among a few of the quickest-charging electric cars on the market today, and while it’s fun to drive, it also remains comfortable for all-day driving.” [Inside EVs, 8/21/22 (=)]

 

Lucid Group Inc.

 

Lucid Launches Performance Subsidiary ‘Sapphire’. According to Electrive, “The US electric car manufacturer Lucid Motors has introduced its new performance subsidiary brand Sapphire. It will debut with a three-motor version of the Air electric sedan, which is expected to rival the Tesla Model S Plaid. The Lucid Air Sapphire has two electric drives on the rear axle and another one in the front, which together should bring it to over 895 kW of power. The company will only announce the final output later. The Model S Plaid, which the Lucid Air Sapphire is obviously aimed at, has an output of 750 kW with its three motors. The acceleration of the Sapphire variant is claimed by Lucid to be less than two seconds from standstill to 60 mph (96 km/h) and less than four seconds from zero to 100 mph (161 km/h). The Lucid Air Sapphire is said to do the quarter mile in less than nine seconds. The top speed is over 200 mph (322 km/h). As Eric Bach, Senior Vice President of Product and Chief Engineer at Lucid, states in the press release, the drive with three electric drives was part of the development programme from the beginning, which is why no compromises had to be made in the production model in order to place the two e-motors in the available installation space on the rear axle. The Sapphire is therefore intended to retain ‘all the strengths of the Lucid Air variants already on the market’. As examples, Bach mentions the legroom in the rear, the large boot and the ‘impressive efficiency’. However, Lucid does not yet provide information on range and consumption.” [Electrive, 8/22/22 (=)]

 

Rivian Automotive Inc.

 

Rivian Cancels Least Expensive Version Of Electric Pickup Truck. According to Bloomberg, “Rivian Automotive Inc. eliminated the least expensive trim of its R1T electric pickup truck, the company confirmed via email, effectively raising the price of its entry-level model. Demand for the Explore model, which retailed at $67,500, was smaller than anticipated, and eliminating it will help the EV manufacturer ‘streamline our supply chain and ultimately deliver vehicles more quickly,’ according to a letter cited on the Rivian Owners Forum Thursday. Rivian’s EV Factory, Constrained by Chips, Is Off to Slow Start The Rivian R1T electric vehicle (EV) pickup truck.Photographer: Jamie Kelter Davis/Bloomberg The ‘vast majority’ of customers have ordered the next trim level, the $73,000 Adventure configuration, according to the letter. Rivian confirmed it sent the letter to people who had preordered the Explore package. Customers will have until Sept. 1 to upgrade or cancel their order, the company said. In March, the Irvine, California-based carmaker attempted to raise sticker prices of the R1T pickup and R1S SUV, citing higher input costs and a shortage of semiconductors, only to roll back the increases in the face of a customer backlash.” [Bloomberg, 8/18/22 (=)]

 

Tesla Inc.

 

Tesla Dominates Charging Experience Satisfaction, And That’s A Problem Now That It’s Going Public. According to Electrek, “Tesla is dominating the charging experience satisfaction among EV owners, and it’s going to be a problem for charging network operators now that Supercharger is going public. This is a problem that needs to be put in perspective since most electric car charging happens at home. Therefore, public charging issues mainly affect only a small part of the EV-owning experience, but it is still a problem that needs to be addressed. When going on a road trip or traveling longer distances, public fast-charging stations are essential, and unfortunately, there is a wide range of levels of satisfaction based on the charging station. We recently reported on a study that found that more than a quarter of surveyed charging stations were nonfunctional. This is a real problem. Now J.D. Power has released its new charging experience survey to compare the satisfaction level based on different brands of charging stations, and it had some interesting findings. First off, satisfaction went down overall despite the availability of public charging stations increasing significantly over the last year, which is one of the biggest problems with charging networks to start with: availability.” [Electrek, 8/22/22 (=)]

 

The Big Money Musk Sees In Lithium Is Getting Harder To Make. According to Bloomberg, “Elon Musk says there’s big money to be made by turning raw lithium into battery chemicals, but shrinking profit margins suggest the mining end of the business might still be a better bet. Musk last month described lithium refining as the hard part in the complex process of getting raw materials out of the ground and into Tesla Inc.’s cars. For those who can crack it, it’s a ‘license to print money,’ he said. And he was right: margins did spike earlier this year, as booming orders from carmakers drove a record surge in prices for the specialty chemicals produced by ‘merchant refiners’ -- companies that purchase and process material from lithium producers. But the refiners’ profits can quickly wither if the cost of raw materials rises faster than the price of the lithium chemicals they sell. While China’s Covid lockdowns have weighed on demand for finished products from battery- and automakers in recent months, the price of mined raw materials has continued to surge. As a result, profit margins at lithium plants have tumbled. Processors are still generating historically strong earnings, but margins have dropped by more than half from a March peak, according to Fastmarkets Ltd, which tracks prices for lithium products and other commodities.” [Bloomberg, 8/19/22 (=)]

 

Volkswagen Group

 

Volkswagen — ID. Buzz Sales Surge, Norway All EV By 2024. According to Clean Technica, “The Volkswagen ID. Buzz is sold out for 2022 in Germany and Norway, even though deliveries won’t begin until later this year. Production began at the company’s commercial vehicle factory in Hannover, Germany, in May. 3,400 orders have been booked in Norway, 2,500 in Germany, 1,100 in the Netherlands, 1,000 in Belgium, and 2,000 in other European countries. The news was sent to all employees at the Hannover factory in an email from Lars Krause, the head of commercial vehicle sales at Volkswagen, according to Automobilwoche. ‘10,000 orders, without the car actually being at the dealer, let alone a customer having driven it. That is just impressive,’ Krause wrote. ‘I am very pleased that the ID Buzz and the ID Buzz Cargo are already selling so well. We are, after all, still in the launch phase, before the market launch. Pre-sales have not even started yet in France and the UK,’ he added. Volkswagen is targeting sales of 15,000 ID. Buzz vehicles for 2022, which means that more than two-thirds of the available supply have already been sold. In 2023, the company expects to manufacture 60,000 of them and up to 130,000 a year thereafter. Prices for the ID Buzz start at 54,430 euros ($57,220) in Germany for the Cargo version and 64,581 euros ($67,891) for the five passenger Pro version.” [Clean Technica, 8/19/22 (=)]

 

VW ID Buzz Electric Van Has Received Over 10,000 Orders – Almost Selling Out. According to Electrek, “Volkswagen has revealed that it has received more than 10,000 orders for the ID Buzz electric van, which means that it has almost sold out for the year. After years of anticipation, VW finally unveiled the production version of the VW ID.BUZZ in March; it’s a new version of the iconic VW minibus relaunched as a more luxurious electric van, but with hints at the old classic. It comes with a decent-size 82 kWh battery pack enabling over 200 miles of range with several different seat configurations. Earlier this year, we learned that the price is actually higher than originally anticipated starting at £57,115 (~$67,500). But it didn’t deter many buyers as Volkswagen has reportedly already received more than 10,000 orders in Europe, where it has opened orders in some markets. Lars Krause, VW Commercial Vehicle’s head of sales, revealed the number to employees of VW’s plant in Hanover, Germany, where the ID Buzz is built, according to a report from Automobilwoche (via Automotive News Europe): ‘Volkswagen’s ID Buzz full-electric van is already sold out for months before the start of deliveries, with advance sales having now passed the 10,000 mark, led by demand in Norway, followed by Germany.’” [Electrek, 8/19/22 (=)]

 

Volkswagen Bank Now Offers Charging Infrastructure Financing. According to Electrive, “Volkswagen Bank has started financing charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. The offer is aimed at companies that want to electrify their vehicle fleet and need to install the necessary charging infrastructure at their respective company headquarters. Loans of 50,000 to 250,000 euros with a term and fixed interest rate of up to 20 years are to be approved ‘quickly and unbureaucratically’, according to the statement. Higher loans would be granted after a positive balance sheet review. In addition, the investment financing also covers work on the building, the existing operating equipment and the connection costs. The installation of a photovoltaic system or a buffer storage tank can also be financed as part of the investment. In addition, Volkswagen Bank advises on the integration of possible subsidies and takes these into account from the outset when planning the individual financing. Only last month, Volkswagen Financial Services launched a Europe-wide electromobility programme called ‘Electrification-as-a-service’ (EaaS). The aim is to support the electrification of large, commercially used vehicle fleets.” [Electrive, 8/19/22 (=)]

 

Porsche Expects To Make As Many Electric Macans As Combustion Versions. According to Reuters, “Volkswagen’s (VOWG_p.DE) sportscar brand Porsche expects to produce as many units of its Macan model in the electric version as the original with combustion engine, production chief Albrecht Reimold told magazine Automobilwoche. ‘We produce more than 80,000 units of today’s generation, and in the long term we also plan to produce as many of the all-electric Macan,’ Reimold was quoted as saying. The Macan compact sports-utility vehicle is one of Porsche’s top-selling models. So far, Porsche’s only all-electric model is the coupe Taycan. The Macan should follow in 2023/24.” [Reuters, 8/21/22 (=)]

 

Electric Vehicles

 

EV Sales & Transition

 

Electric Cars Will Soon Just Be Called Cars. According to Clean Technica, “A lot of progress has been made in the electric vehicle space over the last 10 years. There were very few models of battery-electric cars to choose from in many places around the world 10 years ago. The charging networks were also not as widespread as they are now in a lot of places. Modern electric cars now have much more range and can also charge a whole lot faster than 10 years ago. The increased variety of all electric cars for people to choose from, a ramp-up in production from OEMs and subsequent retail price reductions, and/or the availability of more affordable models allowing more people to afford an electric car, the improved range as well as the much improved charging networks, have all contributed to increased sales of EVs over the last couple of years. Record EV sales figures have been reported in quite a few of the major markets recently and the market share of electric vehicles in those markets is growing all the time. In Norway, July’s combined plug-in share of 83.0% comprised 70.7% battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), and 12.3% plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs). In China, the electric car market had a 28% share of auto sales in June! Germany, Europe’s largest auto market, saw plug-in electric vehicles take a 25.5% share in July. Globally, June saw a new record for EV sales in a single month with BEVs taking a 12% share of the global market.” [Clean Technica, 8/20/22 (=)]

 

Column: We’re In A Climate Crisis. It Shouldn’t Be This Hard To Buy An Electric Car. According to Los Angeles Times, “A year and a half ago, my conscience got to me, so I went shopping for an electric car. I’d written about why Los Angeles now has more humidity and mosquitoes, why Joshua trees are dying, why juvenile great white sharks are migrating north to Monterey Bay, why there’s less coastal fog and slower growth in redwood forests, and why trophy grapes like cabernet sauvignon are living on borrowed time. Climate change is the culprit, and vehicle emissions are a major cause. My old Prius was no gas-guzzler, but it was beaten up and I was ready for some new wheels. I had issues, though, with the electric vehicles I considered. They were too expensive. There weren’t enough charging stations, other than for Teslas, to make long-distance travel convenient. Battery technology was still evolving, and mining for materials created an environmental hazard. So instead of going all electric, I decided to wait for better options and take a half-step toward cleaner energy in the interim. I leased a plug-in hybrid. My Kia Niro goes 24 miles on electric power, then switches to gas and gets about 45 miles to the gallon. Because so many of my trips are short, the majority of my drives are all electric, and recharging is easy. I plug the car in each evening, to a standard 110-volt outlet, and wake up to another 24 miles of electric power. And plug-in hybrids are much cheaper than all electric.” [Los Angeles Times, 8/20/22 (+)]

 

EV Resources & Technology

 

Ultium Cells Looks To Build Fourth Battery Factory In The USA. According to Electrive, “Ultium Cells, the battery cell joint venture between General Motors and LG Energy Solution, is considering New Carlisle in the US state of Indiana as the site for its fourth factory, according to a company spokesperson. The joint venture has filed a tax abatement application there, which it hopes will be approved this month, she said. The fourth plant is expected to be very similar to the other three battery factories and will require an investment of more than two billion US dollars. Production at Ultium Cells’ first US battery cell plant in Ohio is expected to begin this month. Ultium Cells’ second factory is reportedly being built next to GM’s vehicle plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee. In January 2022, another battery cell manufacturing facility was announced in Lansing, Michigan, where General Motors also operates two vehicle plants. At the end of July, it became known that the US Department of Energy would grant the battery joint venture of General Motors and LG Energy Solution a loan of 2.5 billion dollars.” [Electrive, 8/20/22 (=)]

 

Want Lithium From USA? Galvanic Energy May Have Enough For 50 Million EVs. According to Clean Technica, “One of the biggest elements of the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is a requirement that electric vehicles start using batteries that contain minerals from ‘friendly’ countries, with a special emphasis on battery minerals from the USA. Interestingly, a month before the monumental bill was passed, Oklahoma-based Galvanic Energy announce some large lithium potential in Utah. According to the company, a recent third-party resource report ‘validated Galvanic Energy’s Smackover Formation prospect as one of the largest lithium brine resources in North America, with sufficient lithium to produce enough batteries for 50 million electric vehicles.’ 50 million EVs! The Smackover prospect is located in southern Arkansas. Naturally, it has to be commercially competitive for Galvanic Energy to get to work extracting that lithium in order to move towards such an ambitious opportunity. The IRA will certainly help stimulate such competitiveness and extraction, though. ‘Over the past year the company has completed well testing and detailed reservoir modeling to significantly advance its 120,000-acre lithium prospect in southern Arkansas,’ Galvanic Energy writes. The company bills itself as ‘a geoscience-driven resource exploration company that employs innovative, proprietary discovery methods to identify natural resources essential to the US renewable energy sector.’” [Clean Technica, 8/21/22 (=)]

 

EV Micromobility

 

Cops On Electric Bikes: Why More Police Departments Are Turning To E-Bikes For Patrols. According to Electrek, “Electric bicycles aren’t just for leisure or commuting, they also make great work tools for commercial applications. And more police departments are now waking up to the fact that light electric two-wheelers can be a huge advantage compared to typical police cruisers. That doesn’t mean police departments aren’t still exploring larger vehicles as well, but electric bikes and other light EVs are proving to be a popular choice for cops on the move. And it makes sense, as there are plenty of reasons why electric bikes actually make better patrol vehicles to supplement a police force’s standard cruiser fleet. Electric bikes are more quickly deployable than police cruisers, and their low cost means there can be more of them on the streets in more places. That allows police officers to respond to calls more quickly. The Menlo Park Police Department recently added to their force Pedego electric bikes outfitted with a police package. The bikes have already proven useful for catching criminals. As the local Pedego dealer Jeff Scanlan explained: ‘Just last week, one of the patrol officers using our e-bike came into the store and shared a story of him catching a bike thief who had just stolen a bike from in front of the Walgreens on Santa Cruz. He said he would never have been able to catch him on a regular bike, and by the time the dispatch could have directed a patrol car to pursue the suspect, the suspect would have escaped.’” [Electrek, 8/19/22 (=)]

 

A Delivery Company Turns To Electric Bikes In Manhattan. According to Yale Climate Connections, “Driving through the crowded streets of Manhattan in a delivery van can be a slog, and parking spots are often hard to find. Bicycles are nimbler, but it can be difficult and tiring for a biker to pull a heavy trailer full of groceries or packages. So many delivery companies are now turning to electric bikes, which have motors that give riders a boost while they’re pedaling. ‘We’re pulling up to 200 pounds of groceries, so it really does make a difference to use an electric bike in this case,’ says Austin Pferd, cargo bike fleet manager for Dutch-X, which helps deliver orders from companies such as Whole Foods. The company is increasingly using more e-bikes and fewer vans for local deliveries. Pferd says the bikes’ top speed is limited. ‘Our bikes are kept to a 12 mile per hour speed limit. So the motor cuts out at 12 miles per hour,’ he says.” [Yale Climate Connections, 8/19/22 (=)]

 

States & Local

 

California

 

The Power Of Clean Transportation In An Equitable Energy Future. According to Smart Cities Dive, “Fossil fuels like coal, natural gas, and gasoline are responsible for air and water pollution that cause nearly 1 in 5 human deaths worldwide. The data is staggering and although California is making tremendous progress toward a 100% renewable electricity grid, over 50% of the state’s 2019 emissions are caused by transportation and the extraction of transportation-related fuels. To cut these emissions and reach California’s goal of 5 million EVs on the road by 2030, 250,000 more charging stations are needed by 2025. MCE, a renewable electricity provider for more than 1.5 million people in the Bay Area, is supporting the rapid shift to clean powered EVs through an equity-centered lens. Low-income communities and communities of color disproportionately feel the impacts of vehicle pollution and can benefit the most from the clean air and cost-saving benefits of EVs. Compared to gas vehicles, EVs save the average household $650/year. But the higher upfront cost keeps EVs out of reach for many. In response, MCE allocated $1.4M in rebates for 400 income-qualified residents, reducing EV costs by up to $13,750 per vehicle when combined with other incentives. To help workplaces and multifamily properties which are lagging behind in EV adoption, MCE has provided rebates to install over 900 EV charging stations, with another 600 planned by next year. And thanks to a $4.3 million grant from the California Energy Commission for charging stations in low income zip codes, MCE and the Contra Costa Transportation Authority plan to install 785 more charging stations at multifamily properties, public workplaces, and commercial businesses in the next two years.” [Smart Cities Dive, 8/22/22 (=)]

 

LAX To Become One Of United States’ Largest Charging Ports With 1,300-EV-Charger Revamp. According to Electrek, “In the latest sign of the auto industry’s transition to electric, Los Angeles Internation Airport (LAX) says it will add 1,300 EV chargers to modernize the facility. According to a local news station in LA, the massive airport revamp is almost done. The parking management and transportation services company working on the installation, ABM, says it will be one of the most extensive EV charging ports in the United States when complete. The LAX airport overhaul makes sense as California holds the largest EV market share, with over 1 million EVs sold. California already has the most extensive EV charging network and plans to accelerate EV adoption in the state. In fact, the state has a newly proposed standard stating California will only sell zero-emission vehicles after 2035. It’s also aiming to sell 5 million EVs by 2035. However, the move seems to be a part of a broader trend. California tends to be a first adopter when it comes to new technology, mainly because it’s developed there in places like Silicon Valley. EVs are spreading like wildfire, accounting for over 6% of the total US market. LAX is not the only airport adding EV chargers. It’s just adding a significant number to accommodate for the rise in EV demand.” [Electrek, 8/19/22 (=)]

 

Georgia

 

Challenges Loom In Push For EV Charging Stations In Georgia. According to Capitol Beat, “Georgia’s plan for a network of electric vehicle charging stations crisscrossing the Peach State is in the hands of the Federal Highway Administration. But the state won’t be able to start tapping into $135 million in federal funds set aside to build EV charging stations in Georgia until the General Assembly sets rules for what is now a fledgling industry. ‘This is going to be one of the biggest transitions we have ever seen in this country in transportation and in the way of life,’ said state Rep. Alan Powell, R-Hartwell. ‘We need to be prepared.’ Powell is a member of a joint legislative study committee that will begin meeting Aug. 24 to look for ways to move the EV charging industry forward in Georgia. He and House lawmakers learned the difficulty of the challenge during this year’s legislative session when two bills fizzled amid a dispute between lobbyists for the state’s power companies and Georgia convenience stores. Some of the obstacles stem from EV technology, which is still in its early stages. While slow charging is fine for homeowners who park their EVs in their garages overnight, even the fast chargers designed for public charging stations can take up to 30 minutes. ‘We’re used to pulling up at a filling station or convenience store, filling up and hitting the road,’ Powell said. ‘Folk aren’t going to sit there for 30 minutes.’” [Capitol Beat, 8/19/22 (=)]

 

Indiana

 

Indiana Has A $100 Million EV Plan. Black Communities Say They’re Being Left Out.. According to Protocol, “Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the state of Indiana is set to receive $100 million to build out a network of electric vehicle charging stations by 2025. But local officials and leaders of the NAACP in the state are calling on the Biden administration to reject the state’s plan, arguing that communities of color have been left out of the planning process, leading to a proposal that could entrench the racist transportation policies that both President Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg have vowed to address with these new federal funds. ‘The state of Indiana has created a plan that is not equitable for communities of color, Black and brown,’ said Henry Davis Jr., a city council member in South Bend, where Buttigieg was mayor. ‘We want to be included in that plan. It is kind of hard to be included on a plan when you are not even at the table.’ Davis is part of an alliance that includes the Indiana NAACP, Black Lives Matter South Bend and local Black business leaders. Among its top concerns is the fact that the Indiana Department of Transportation held just three in-person public meetings to accept input on the plan, all of which were located in predominantly white neighborhoods. There were no meetings in historically Black cities such as Gary, for instance. Instead, the meeting for the northern section of the state was held in the much smaller city of Plymouth, where the population is 90% white. These meetings were also scheduled from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., making it difficult — if not impossible — for many working people to attend.” [Protocol, 8/19/22 (=)]

 

Op-Ed: INDOT's Plan For EV Charging Stations Continues Pattern Of Environmental Racism. According to an op-ed by David Greene in Indianapolis Star, “In the 1930s, banks redlined majority-minority areas, effectively creating communities saddled with financial desperation for generations. In 1956, when President Dwight Eisenhower created the U.S. Interstate Highway System, transportation planners tore through urban areas with freeways built with racist intention and indifference, leveling homes and parks for car exhaust and fumes. Black neighborhoods were thought of as blight or slums, which meant they were seen as disposable. Our neighborhoods were wiped out and there hasn’t been any effort to remediate the damage that was done. When I-65 and I-70 were constructed in Indianapolis during the late 1960s to early 1970s, the highways tore through historically Black neighborhoods, destroying homes and businesses, uprooting families and communities. Our country’s legacy of racist transportation planning is widely understood ― U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said that racism was a ‘conscious choice’ in the planning and construction of America’s highway system. As states submit plans to the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) for how they will spend millions in federal funding to build a national network of charging stations for electric vehicles, our government has the opportunity to learn from these mistakes, not repeat them. Studies show that communities of color disproportionately inhale air poisoned by vehicle emissions, which is why equity must be central to Indiana’s plan to build a massive state network of charging stations that will support the shift to cleaner electric cars and trucks.” [Indianapolis Star, 8/20/22 (+)]

 

New York

 

1st Vehicle-To-Grid System On NYC Grid Launches. According to Clean Technica, “The first vehicle-to-grid system on NYC’s electricity grid launched this week. The system comes from a collaboration between Revel rideshare, Fermata Energy, and NineDot Energy. Revel’s rideshare system includes only fully electric cars. However, Tesla vehicles are not set up for vehicle-to-grid (V2G) service, so it’s just the rideshare network’s Nissan LEAFs that will be sending electricity from their batteries back into Con Edison’s grid as needed. The revenue from this program will help Revel to pay off the cost of its EVs sooner. It will also help ConEdison balance the grid and avoid grid blackouts or brownouts in, for example, the growing heatwaves hitting the city. Fermata Energy is a startup that produces bidirectional charging hardware as well as vehicle-to-everything (V2X) software for just such projects. NineDot Energy is developing battery storage projects in the New York metro area, including V2G projects like these. On a grand scale, the great thing about V2G projects like this one is that they help support and accelerate the adoption of EVs, battery storage, renewable energy, and a more resilient electricity grid — all of which are needed and critical to a better future. ‘The revenue-generating capabilities of V2G technology will accelerate the adoption of EVs and battery storage efforts,’ company reps wrote in an email to CleanTechnica.” [Clean Technica, 8/21/22 (=)]

 

North Carolina

 

Taking Charge: NC Electric Vehicles On The Rise. According to Winston-Salem Journal, “North Carolina drivers are gradually choosing to plug in rather than fill up. An additional 18,500 electric and hybrid vehicles hit the state’s roads in the first half of 2022 while the number of fully fuel-powered cars, trucks and buses declined, according to a review of monthly reports from the N.C. Department of Transportation. Standard hybrids experienced the biggest overall gains among all vehicles with an increase of nearly 11,000 registrations from January through June, topping out at 161,000 overall. The data show a rise of nearly 7,600 electric vehicles — including more than 1,900 plugin hybrids — over the same period. There were almost 7,800 fewer traditional gas vehicles registered in June than in January, although the decline was nearly offset by 6,400 diesels. Triad drivers ditched their fully fuel-powered vehicles at a higher rate than the state as a whole. Forsyth County added 789 hybrid registrations, 181 EVs and 239 diesels in the first half of the year while gas vehicles declined by nearly 1,200. Guilford added 363 hybrids and 369 EVs. Diesels fell by 322 and gas vehicles plummeted by nearly 3,400 when comparing January to June.” [Winston-Salem Journal, 8/21/22 (=)]

 

International

 

Australia

 

Australia Taking Bold Steps Toward Electric Car Future. According to Clean Technica, “After many years under the thumb of climate denier Scott Morrison, Australia is finally ready to join the 21st century thanks to the leadership of newly elected prime minister Anthony Albanese. Last week at the first ever Electric Vehicle Summit in Canberrra, Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said the government will present a clean transportation position paper in September that will outline strategies for reducing emissions from cars and trucks. Today, Australia is one of two major countries that do not have any emissions regulations for new cars. The other is Russia. While the UK and Europe are seeing electric vehicles approaching a 20% market share of the new car market, Australia is at less than 2%. ‘Australia risks becoming a dumping ground for older technology which can’t be sold in other markets,’ Bowen told the audience. ‘To me, this is ultimately about choice and policy settings are denying Australians real choice of good, affordable, no emissions cars,’ he added. Bowen said the position paper due in September will usher in ‘a time of hope, that after a decade of denial and delay, after an era of demonization of innovations like zero emissions cars, after years of frustration, we now have a chance to give Australians access to the world’s best transport technology.’ While Australia is behind the curve, Bowen emphasized that policy initiatives can have significant consequences in a short period of time. He pointed out that Sweden increased its proportion of EV sales from 18% to 62% in just two years.” [Clean Technica, 8/21/22 (=)]

 

China

 

China Extends NEV Purchase Tax Exemption Worth 100 Billion Yuan. According to Reuters, “China will extend its exemption of new energy vehicles’ from purchase taxes to the end of 2023, creating tax cuts worth a total of 100 billion yuan, state media Xinhua quoted cabinet meeting as saying on Friday.” [Reuters, 8/19/22 (=)]

 

Europe

 

One Answer To Europe’s Energy Crisis? More Electric Cars. According to Bloomberg, “Paul Kershaw is not a God — that would be his dog, ‘God’ — but he does harness the power of the wind and sun. Every morning at his home near Cambridge in the UK, Kershaw charges up his Nissan Leaf, in part from the 12 turbines at the Red Tile Wind Farm a few miles west and the Ryston Solar Farm a few miles north. Every evening, Kershaw then unleashes that same power to his neighbors, right when they need it most. The 51-year-old, who is retired on disability, only drives his car on occasion — mainly when it’s time to take God on a scenic walk. ‘It’s just a really great feeling knowing you’re doing something positive,’ Kershaw says. ‘It’s not just a car anymore ... the solution is in the problem.’ Kershaw is one of 350 UK residents who have been pumping electricity from their vehicles to surrounding homes and businesses since 2018, a nascent bit of energy arbitrage known as vehicle-to-grid charging, or V2G. The idea is for EVs to charge their own batteries when renewable energy is ripe — typically midday — and then discharge some of that electricity when power demand is high and renewable generation is low, usually around 5 to 10 p.m. For now, the UK’s V2G practitioners are just part of a trial, one of several in Europe. It’s confined to Leaf vehicles, and the cost of the smart-charging hardware was covered by a government subsidy. But with enough cars, compliant car owners and obliging utilities, V2G could set off a cascade of climate-positive electrical outcomes, helping utilities use more renewable energy, avoid firing up gas or coal-burning plants, and maybe even build fewer of them.” [Bloomberg, 8/19/22 (=)]

 

Greenland

 

A Supplier Of Rare Earth Metals Turns To Greenland In Bid To Cut Reliance On Russia . According to The New York Times, “One of the world’s last processors of rare earth metals outside of China is buying mining rights in Greenland to reduce dependence on Russian ore and stabilize prices, in the latest move by Western companies to diversify supply chains following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Rare earth metals are essential for the manufacture of a broad range of modern products, including electric car motors, offshore wind turbines and smart bombs. Demand has soared as automakers switch more of their production to electric vehicles. Dozens of mostly small companies mine rare earth ore around the world and do some initial processing to remove dirt. But only two commercial-scale factories outside of China perform the difficult task of chemically separating semi-processed ore into usable material for magnets in electric car motors and other applications. Toronto-based Neo Performance Materials buys semi-processed ore from Russia, the United States and Australia and does the chemical processes at factories in Estonia and China. Another company, Lynas Corporation, mines rare earth metals ore in Australia and does the chemical processes in Malaysia.” [The New York Times, 8/22/22 (=)]

 

 

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