NEWSNOTES | August 11 2021
News Notes

NEWSNOTES | August 11 2021

NEWSNOTES | August 11 2021

Wednesday, August 11, 2021 / Kimberly Taylor

Last week President Biden was joined by the CEOs of Detroit’s three automakers where he announced a goal of making half of all new vehicles sold by 2030 emissions-free. That promise roiled Michigan U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell who is decrying the $7.5 billion infrastructure package saying it’s not enough to rollout an electric vehicle (EV) charging network.

When good news rains it pours and sometimes there’s even Lightning and yes, I mean Lightning eMotors. The Colorado-based manufacturer could provide as many as 7500 shuttle buses to Berkshire Hathaway’s-backed bus maker Forest River, Inc. I’m sure Lightning co-Founder Tim Reeser’s heart soared as company shares rose 85% upon the news of the $850 million deal.

Momentum is a theme these days and Lion Electric can’t stay out of the news, either. The latest from the Canadian-based company is the province of Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.) has ordered 35 LionC school buses.

Meritor, the Michigan based auto component supplier has announced a partnership with Hyliion whose powertrain system will feature Meritor’s Blue Horizon 14Xe ePowertrain integrated drive axles on Hyliion’s vehicle upfits. Meritor’s powertrain system will be produced in Asheville and Forest City, North Carolina.

The ubiquitous merger/acquisition trend of our time strikes again and this time CALSTART member ChargePoint has acquired CALSTART member ViriCiti. ChargePoint, the largest vehicle charging network in North America, recognizes that the acquisition will give them a much larger capability in charger management and vehicle charger scheduling.

CALSTART has watched Xos from their beginning and FedEx is their most recent home run. The company has signed agreements with FedEx Ground operators to deliver 120 zero emission electric trucks to be deployed across California, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Texas.

All of the good news about partnerships and deployment may be dizzying to fleet managers as they chart their zero-emission pathway. Never fear says CALSTART’s Niki Okuk in a Green Fleet article that outlines the seven steps for developing a solid strategy. The New York Truck Voucher Incentive Program staff agrees that there’s no time like now and you are invited on August 17 to attend a free workshop designed to provide trucking industry representatives with tools to plan for the future. The free event is in Albany, NY from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. and you can register here.

Art makes the world go ‘round and woodworker Evie Bee is doing her part. Bee is busy as she focuses on tree house building, green woodwork and coppicing. Her portfolio also includes robotic puppets, paddle boats, Windmills, and check out this beautiful wooden EV bike.

 

RESOURCES

Senate Bill Falls Short on EV Infrastructure Investment, Detroit News - https://bit.ly/3iIZ4jn

Lightning Soars on EV Deal With Buffett-Backed Bus Maker, Bloomberg - https://bloom.bg/3lRBnan

Prince Edward Island and Lion Electric Partner, School Transportation News - https://bit.ly/3AzlBov

Meritor to Supply Drive Systems for Hyliion, electrive.com - https://bit.ly/3iBanK1

ChargePoint Acquires ViriCiti, Tech Crunch - https://tcrn.ch/3fTdDil

Xos Gets FedEx Ground Order of 120 Trucks, MarketScreener - https://bit.ly/37ynwO0

7 Steps for a Successful ZEV Strategy, WorkTruck - https://bit.ly/3CAxxsa

NY Truck VIP, NYSERDA - https://on.ny.gov/3CEU4Uu

Clean Transportation Initiatives: The Future is Now - https://bit.ly/3yET8NL

Sustainable Wooden Electric Bike, electrek - https://bit.ly/2VKsiWd