Electrify America has announced yet another agreement with an EV automaker, this time with Genesis Motor America. As part of the agreement, new 2023 Genesis GV60 owners will gain access to free 30-minute charging sessions for their first three years of EV ownership.
The post Genesis GV60 owners will receive three years of free 30-min charging from Electrify America appeared first on Electrek.
Source: Charge Forward
A new research paper showing a vulnerability with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) is being used to single out Tesla for potentially resulting in unlocking vehicles remotely.
The post Tesla singled out in Bluetooth hack that can unlock cars appeared first on Electrek.
Source: Charge Forward
Since range depends on a number of factors, an exact figure is difficult to produce, but Ford’s software helps.
Source: Electric Vehicle News
The company’s first plant in Sweden is expected to produce up to 60 GWh/year at some point in the future.
Source: Electric Vehicle News
Buyers get three years of 30-minute complimentary charging sessions at Electrify America stations.
Source: Electric Vehicle News
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has approved $11.7 million in funding for Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) to develop three new pilot programs to test ways in which bidirectional EVs and chargers can provide power to the electric grid and various benefits to customers.
PG&E will test bidirectional charging technology in a variety of settings, including in homes, businesses and with local microgrids. The pilots will test the ability of EVs to send power back to the grid and provide power to customers during an outage.
The new pilots are separate from collaborations announced in March with GM and Ford.
Each of the new programs offers a financial incentive for participating customers, and additional benefits for those in disadvantaged communities. All three are expected to be available to customers in 2022 and 2023, and to continue until incentives run out.
The 400,000 EVs registered in PG&E’s service area represent a flexible grid resource, which could offer cost savings associated with operating and maintaining the grid, and reduce the need to build new standalone energy storage systems.
The approved pilot programs:
PG&E submitted a fourth proposed pilot focused on creating ways for EVs to participate in CAISO markets, but this was rejected by the CPUC in its current form.
Source: CPUC via Green Car Congress
Source: Electric Vehicles Magazine
Semiconductor provider STMicroelectronics is supplying SiC semiconductors for SEMIKRON’s eMPack EV power modules. “In addition to its transformative effect in e-mobility, our SiC technology, now in its third generation, is driving increased efficiency, performance and reliability in sustainable energy and industrial power-control applications,” said STMicroelectronics Executive VP Edoardo Merli.
As part of a four-year technical collaboration, SEMIKRON and STMicroelectronics engineers integrated STPOWER SiC MOSFETS with SEMIKRON’s fully sintered Direct Pressed Die (DPD) assembly process. According to STMicroelectronics, DPD “enhances module performance and reliability, and enables cost-effective power and voltage scaling.”
The eMPack is available with 750 V and 1,200 V platforms, and covers applications from 100 kW to 750 kW and battery systems ranging from 400 V to 800 V.
Semikron says it has a billion-euro contract to supply a German carmaker with eMPacks, and production is slated to begin in 2025.
“As we now move towards volume production, our collaboration with ST brings the assurance of a robust supply chain that gives control over quality and delivery performance,” said CEO and CTO of SEMIKRON Karl-Heinz Gaubatz.
Source: STMicroelectronics
Source: Electric Vehicles Magazine
Volta Trucks plans to introduce its electric commercial vehicles into North America, beginning in 2023 with a Volta Zero Class 7 truck (equivalent to the company’s existing European 16-ton truck) with a dry or refrigerated cargo box.
The Volta Zero is a purpose-built electric medium-duty truck specifically designed for urban logistics. It uses a compact eAxle, comprising the electric motor, transmission, and axle all in one unit, supplied by Michigan-based Meritor, and high-voltage batteries located within the chassis rails from California-based Proterra. The Class 7 Volta Zero will offer a modular battery configuration to deliver a range of 95-125 miles—more than enough for downtown distribution routes. The vehicle supports DC fast charging at 250 kW and Level 2 charging at 19 kW.
Volta Trucks plans to introduce a pilot fleet of 100 Class 7 trucks in mid-2023, to be evaluated by US customers ahead of a rollout of production vehicles in 2024. To date, Volta has built 24 road-going design verification prototypes, which are currently undergoing an extensive testing program in Europe. By the time of the North American launch, the company expects to have built over 1,500 Class 7 trucks for European customers.
Commercial vehicles have historically been involved in a disproportionate number of accidents, and Volta has taken advantage of the absence of an internal combustion engine to introduce several novel safety features. The driver’s seat is centrally mounted and lower than in an ICE vehicle, so the driver meets pedestrians and cyclists at eye level. The Zero’s glasshouse-style cab offers a 220-degree view around the vehicle for optimum visual awareness and blind-spot reduction. Drivers can enter and exit the vehicle on either side, so they can always step out onto the sidewalk. The doors are sliding rather than swinging, making them safer for passing cyclists.
Volta plans to follow the US introduction of the 33,000-pound Class 7 Zero with the launch of a Class 5 vehicle of 19,500 pounds and a Class 6 truck of 26,000 pounds (equivalent to the European 7.5- and 12-ton vehicles), in 2024/2025.
The first Class 7 vehicles delivered to the US will be built at Volta’s existing contract manufacturing facility in Steyr, Austria, and the Class 5 and 6 vehicles for North America are expected to be built in the US.
Voltas Truck as a Service proposition, currently available in Europe, comprises a suite of services, including site assessment, infrastructure installation, finance, insurance, servicing and maintenance.
“With more than 6,000 vehicle pre-orders in hand, from some of Europe’s largest fleet operators, it is time to expand our geographic horizons and look towards the significant market opportunity in North America,” said Volta founder Carl-Magnus Norden. “I believe our full-electric truck will be perfectly suited to the US customer’s needs, and we look forward to engaging customers to gain feedback on our product and services.”
Source: Volta Trucks
Source: Electric Vehicles Magazine
6K, a producer of engineered materials for lithium-ion batteries, has raised $102 million in the first of two Series D funding tranches. The round was led by Koch Strategic Platforms, an investment arm of fossil fuel giant Koch Industries, with participation by investors Energy Impact Partners, Albemarle, HG Ventures and others.
6K will use the new cash to expand production of premium 3D metal powders in its 6K Additive division and to accelerate the deployment of cathode production plants in its 6K Energy division.
6K is working with partners throughout the battery supply chain to build an “end-to-end solution,” collaborating with Albemarle for the sustainable production of lithium products, and Heritage/Retriev for the production of cathode from end-of-life batteries. 6K will open its Battery Center of Excellence in August 2022, and is working through site selection for a 10-20 GWh cathode plant that is to begin production in early 2024.
6K’s proprietary UniMelt system is a microwave plasma process that produces materials used in batteries and other industrial markets, and is designed to be fast and environmentally friendly. According to the company, the UniMelt process replaces a three-day, multi-step, high-waste chemical co-precipitation (hydro-met) process with one that is ultra-clean and ultra-fast.
6K says implementing its solution for the production of NMC811 has the potential to save billions of dollars and eliminate solid and liquid hazardous waste while reducing water usage by 90% and energy usage up to 70%. The UniMelt systems are already deployed in 24/7 high-volume production at 6K Additive’s 45-acre, ISO9001-certified facility.
“Lithium-ion battery markets will increase tenfold in the next decade. The fact that there is no lithium-ion battery material production on US soil is a concern for both national security and for the industries that are relying on these critical materials,” said CEO Aaron Bent. “6K is the only company capable of battery material production at costs lower than Asia, while also reducing impact on the environment by 70-90%. Disruptive approaches such as this are the only viable way to repatriate this industry.”
“We have been following 6K’s progress since inception and have found that 6K’s UniMelt plasma technology delivers a competitive production process built on US soil,” said Jeremy Bezdek, Managing Director of Koch Strategic Platforms. “They have created a transformative battery material production and recycling ecosystem, delivering a versatile technology capable of full-scale production with various chemistries.”
Source: 6K
Source: Electric Vehicles Magazine
It’s been over two years since Harley-Davidson spun off Serial 1 as its quasi-independent electric bicycle company. The first generation bikes were met with nearly universal acclaim for their sleek design and high-quality manufacturing. Now the company is back to announce its second generation e-bikes, this time touting a new partnership with Google Cloud.
The post Harley-Davidson’s Serial 1 launches second generation electric bikes in Google partnership appeared first on Electrek.
Source: Charge Forward
