NEWSNOTES | May 26, 2021
News Notes

Ah, they grow up so fast. I remember when Colorado-based Lightning eMotors was just starting out more than a decade ago. The company manufactures zero-emission, Class 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 commercial shuttle buses, delivery vans, box trucks, motor coaches and so much more. What a celebration their team had earlier this week in New York City as CEO Tim Reeser marked their success by ringing the opening bell  at the New York Stock Exchange!

While we’re celebrating, kudos to Phoenix Motorcars for being honored as a finalist in Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Awards 2021. Phoenix is a developer of zero emission, all-electric vehicles (EVs). The award honors businesses, policies, projects and concepts that are actively engaged and deeply committed to pursuing innovation.

Forest River has taken delivery of its first five EV Star Cab and Chassis (CC) units from GreenPower Motor Company. The two companies announced earlier this year that they were entering an exclusive purchase agreement for 150 EV Star CC units.

Transportation for K12 school districts and education stakeholders is being transformed thanks to a partnership between 4MATIV (transportation system design expertise) and member company NuGen Go which offers turnkey EV financing and management solutions. The company works with fleet managers to minimize costs while transitioning to an EV future.

Amply Power and Duke Energy are collaborating as they focus on charging fleets of electric buses by means of solar-powered overhead charging stations. The California-based company is a fleet charging infrastructure provider that uses a Charging-as-a Service (CaaS). The cost savings for bus fleets are expected to be significant.

70,000 reservations later, the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup is aimed specifically at commercial customers and starts at $39,974 for a version with 230 miles of range. It gets even better. Because Ford vehicles still qualify for the federal EV tax credit, you could end up paying a little less than $32,500 for this truck.

Content warning: reader discretion advised as the name of a new truck is, well, strong language. Autocar has launched their new Class 8 truck and they call it the way they see it-the C-64D Badass Dumptruck. The truck comes with three Cummins engines options and will be available in the ubiquitous year of 2022.

Joe Biden wants to slash the US’s planet-heating emissions to net zero and NASA is listening as they hunt for a breakthrough in carbon pollution from aviation. NASA is working on electric planes and has created the X-57, an experimental two-seater that will have an expected range of 100 miles and a cruising speed of 172 MPH. General Motors and Lockheed Martin have turned their attention to NASA, too, as they look to design a moon buggy for NASA astronauts. Electric and autonomous vehicles are expected to zip around the lunar surface this decade in a lunar terrain vehicle.

RESOURCES

Lightning eMotors Team Ring NYSE Opening Bell, After Market News - https://bit.ly/3oNx8vU

Phoenix Motorcars Makes Fast Company’s List of World Changing Ideas, Fast Company - https://bit.ly/3fJiNg3

GreenPower Electrifies Forest River Offerings, NGT News - https://bit.ly/3g0eOMj

4MATIV and NuGen Go Announce Strategic Partnership, Businesswire - https://bwnews.pr/34o3rbf

Amply Power to Electrify Fleets With Solar Overhead Charging, electrek - https://bit.ly/3up4WAw

Ford’s Electric Pickup Truck for Businesses, Road|Show - https://cnet.co/3yGj9wr

Autocar Launches the C-64D Badass Dumptruck, Trucks.com - https://bit.ly/3bVgvJy

NASA At the Forefront of Electric Airplane Development, ChargedEVs - https://bit.ly/3unGeAS

Lockheed Martin and GM’s Electric Moon Buggy, The Verge - https://bit.ly/3fkrgr0