Nevada school district orders 15 GreenPower BEAST electric school buses

The Clark County School District in Nevada has ordered 15 GreenPower Type D BEAST electric school buses through vehicle dealership the RWC Group.

CCSD is the fifth-largest school district in the country, and it owns and operates some 1,924 buses that transport 125,000 students daily. The district put its first GreenPower Type D BEAST school bus into service earlier this year.

The new batch of 15 e-buses will be purchased using funding from the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program. Under Round 1 of the EPA funding, each Type D GreenPower BEAST is eligible for $375,000 in grant funding. The total purchase price of Clark County’s 15 BEASTs is a little under $7 million.

GreenPower’s BEAST is a purpose-built, 40-foot Type D all-electric school bus with seating for up to 90 passengers. The BEAST features an integrated chassis with an all-aluminum body, allowing for pass-through storage underneath the bus. The dual-port charging supports Level 2 rates up to 19.2 kW and DC fast charging rates up to 85 kW. Wireless charging is also available as an option.

“Clark County is an innovative and forward-thinking school district that leads the country in the transition to all-electric school buses,” said Michael Perez, GreenPower’s VP for School Bus, Contracts and Grants. “We are honored to have our purpose-built BEAST school buses as the foundation of Clark County’s transition.”

Source: GreenPower

Source: Electric Vehicles Magazine

Shell research shows increasing driving-range confidence among European EV drivers

The Shell Recharge EV Driver Survey 2023, which assessed the attitudes and behaviors of nearly 25,000 EV drivers in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and the UK, found a reduction in range anxiety. Only 14% of EV drivers said they avoid longer trips.

The survey was commissioned by Shell and conducted by UK research and consulting company LCP Delta. The results suggest that accelerating EV adoption across several key European markets is having a positive effect on driver perceptions, including range anxiety.

The survey indicates that 42% of respondents have purchased an EV within the last year and 67% within the last two years.

The number reporting a good charging experience when driving to other European countries has risen by 5%. Reluctance to drive abroad due to charging or range concerns is down by 7% (for charging) and 5% (for range). Forty-seven percent of respondents said they do not need to charge daily.

One need revealed by the survey is for a streamlined mix of apps and cards to receive maximum value from EV services. Twenty-three percent of drivers reported having installed four management apps, and the same percentage use four or more charge cards to access public charging facilities. Even if it meant paying more per charge, 47% of respondents said they prefer a single method of accessing public charge points.

“It is encouraging to see that many of these drivers are feeling positive about the experience,” said Shell VP Florian Glattes. “However, the industry must listen to the needs of drivers and work together to effectively continue removing barriers and further enhance the customer experience.”

Source: Shell

Source: Electric Vehicles Magazine

Imerys acquires British Lithium to speed development of UK lithium deposit

Imerys, a mineral solutions supplier, has bought an 80% share in British Lithium, a private firm that processes Cornish granite to produce battery-grade lithium carbonate.

Imerys contributes its lithium mineral resources, land and infrastructure for an 80% stake in the joint venture, whilst British Lithium brings its bespoke lithium processing technology, its technical team and its lithium pilot plant for the remaining 20%. Imerys’s land has 161 million tons of inferred resources at 0.54% lithium oxide concentration, promising a mine life of over 30 years. At a production rate of 20,000 tons of lithium carbonate equivalent per year, that could equip 500,000 EVs per year by the end of the decade, meeting roughly two-thirds of Britain’s estimated battery demand by 2030 when all UK car manufacturers convert to EVs.

“This venture will reduce the UK’s and Europe’s dependence on critical raw materials imports, thus contributing to the creation of the first fully integrated regional electrical vehicle value chain,” the company said.

Source: Imerys

Source: Electric Vehicles Magazine

Bollinger Motors begins pilot builds of its electric B4 chassis cab

Bollinger Motors has begun design validation pilot builds of its B4 electric Class 4 chassis cabs for testing and demonstration. Manufacturing of the pilot vehicles kicked off in partnership with Roush Industries at its facility in Livonia, Michigan. The first 5 completed chassis cabs are expected to roll out this summer, and at least 15 more are to be completed by the end of Q3 2023.

Bollinger will be offering demos of its initial pilot builds in September at Mcity, a demonstration and testing facility on the University of Michigan’s North Campus in Ann Arbor, for invited key prospects and partners. In preparation for that event, Bollinger has engaged multiple upfitting partners to prepare the chassis cabs for a variety of options to meet the needs of potential fleet customers.

“Our Class 4 Bollinger B4 truck was purpose-built for fleets, and it gives them unlimited upfit options,” said Chief Revenue Officer Jim Connelly. “Our nationwide service network will be announced soon.”

“Bollinger Motors has over eight years of experience in developing, producing, and testing electric trucks,” said CEO Robert Bollinger. “I’m excited to see our hard work come together in the B4 and to keep hitting our milestones.”

The Bollinger B4 will be eligible for a federal purchase incentive of 30% of the cost of the vehicle, up to a total of $40,000. Deliveries are expected to begin in July 2024.

Source: Bollinger Motors

Source: Electric Vehicles Magazine