NEWSNOTES | September 22, 2021
News Notes

CALSTART members Volvo and Amply Power are working with Manhattan Beer. The New York City area beverage distributor has deployed five Volvo Class 8 vehicles. Amply is providing the electric-charging management services to buyers of Volvo’s Class 8 trucks. 

Hyzon Motors is realizing growing orders as they make their hydrogen fuel cells for trucking. They are targeting trucking companies and aircraft manufacturers as clients and anticipate significant business from China later this year. The Motley Fuel wonders if perhaps Hyzon could be the Tesla of hydrogen vehicles?

Alphastruxure, a joint venture between Schneider Electric and The Carlyle Group, is working to accelerate US fleet electrification through its Energy as a Service (EaaS) platform microgrid approach. They’ve partnered with The Mobility House to streamline the development of zero-emission electric fleet infrastructure. The Mobility House has an intelligent electricity management system.

Partnerships abound and next up is Allison Transmission and ElDorado National (ENC). The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) has awarded a contract to ENC for 30 electric hybrid transit buses which will feature the Allison H 40 EP electric hybrid propulsion system.

On the other side of the country Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) will purchase 18 Xcelsior compressed natural gas (CNG) buses from New Flyer. The purchase is supported by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) which just this week announced $409.6 million in competitive grant funds for transit buses and vans. Instructions for applying can be found here.

Tesla co-founder JB Straubel has founded a battery recycling and material supply company called Redwood Motors. Now, in a new partnership with Ford, the two companies will work together to create a “closed loop for battery recycling and a domestic supply chain for critical battery materials.”

Bird, known globally for their rental scooters, launched its first electric Bird Bike and Smart Bikeshare Program a few years ago. They are innovating again with a public bikeshare integration for its application connecting commuters with local providers. The app will show nearby locations and the number of bikes currently available. In the U.S. the integration is live for the cities of Austin, LA, San Antonio and Milwaukee.

Clever university students in the Netherlands were propelled by their interest in solar-powered vehicles to build a camper/tiny house on wheels powered by the sun. Next week the roadshow begins as the team of students will embark on a 4-week road trip in Europe.

RESOURCES

Volvo, Amply Power Partner on Electric Trucks, UtilityDive - https://bit.ly/2W5bqK0

Could Hyzon be the Tesla of Hydrogen Vehicles?, The Motley Fool - https://bit.ly/3AsWeVX

AlphaStruxure and The Mobility House Partner, AJOT - https://bit.ly/3krV4Ex

Allison, Eldorado Bring Electric Hybrid Buses to SF, Metro Magazine - https://bit.ly/3kw34Eq

Central Ohio Transit Authority Adds CNG Buses, NGT News - https://bit.ly/3u2bvKR

FTA Announces Transit Bus Fleet Funding, Metro Magazine - https://bit.ly/3u4431K

Ford Partners with Redwood on Batteries, electrek - https://bit.ly/3kwal7c

Bird’s App Shows Rentable City Bikes from Public Operators, engadget - https://engt.co/3kyinwI

Solar-Powered Camper/Tiny House, CleanTechnica - https://bit.ly/2ZocBFF