NEWSNOTES | March 2, 2022
News Notes

Ford is reorganizing to separate their electric vehicle (EV) and internal combustion engine (ICE) businesses into different units within the company. Their aim is to streamline their EV business and maximize profits. Ford CEO Jim Farley said the company expects to produce more than two million EVs by 2026.

Mark your calendar for March 30 which is the day that California’s HVIP (Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project) will re-open. $196.6 million is available for standard HVIP voucher requests. Additional set-aside funds will be available that same day for public transit buses, class 8 tractors performing drayage operations, and public-school bus set-aside for small and medium Air Districts.

Electric delivery van maker Workhorse Group is going to sell a version of GreenPower Motor Co.’s medium-duty Class 4 vehicle while it redesigns its own product lineup. GreenPower’s zero-emission EV Star is used in cargo and delivery, shuttle, transit, and school bus markets. Kenworth is celebrating their largest battery electric vehicle order to date. AJR Trucking and MDB transportation have ordered a total of twenty-five vehicles to be used to provide regional postal services and drayage operations in Los Angeles.

ConMet eMobility is partnering with Carrier Transicold to supply foodservice distributor Sysco with new zero-emission refrigeration systems for commercial trailers. This is the latest development in ConMet’s commitment to sustainable manufacturing. And kudos also go out to Lightning eMotors which has doubled its production capacity at their Colorado Plant. They have completed their 102,000-square-foot expansion and aim to produce 20,000 units by 2025.

The California Energy Commission (CEC) has awarded CALSTART and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) $13 million. The Research Hub for Electric Technologies in Truck Applications (RHETTA) is a first-of-its-kind collaboration to launch the country’s first zero-emission, freight-charging corridor network.

Motorcoach seller ABC Companies has reached a milestone having completed a 1,700-mile trip across the Pacific Northwest in an all-electric bus which was “Proterra Powered.” Part of the goal was to test the viability of charging stations along the route, and they discovered that there was ample charging available as they traveled from Newark, California to Seattle, Washington and back.

Siemens eMobility for North America recently unveiled a new sustainable EV charging station concept designed for electrifying fleets and high demand charging locations at their offices in Peachtree Corners, Georgia. They have created a modular, scalable design that looks like a modern-day fueling station and can be installed in as little as three days at parking lots and building structures.

There is a lot happening next week starting with Work Truck Week in Indianapolis. If you have not yet, there’s still time for CALSTART members to join us on March 7 for a reception hosted by AlphaStruxure. And, on March 9 CALSTART’s Drive to Zero program will host a virtual briefing to unveil new zero-emission truck & bus model availability and a new online tool. Sign up here.

RESOURCES

Ford Creates Separate Units for EVs and ICEs, CNBC | https://cnb.cx/3vDpaet

California HVIP to Re-Open Voucher Requests, Green Car Congress | https://bit.ly/3hvaBkG

Workhorse’s Future Boosted with GreenPower Delivery Van Deal, Forbes | https://bit.ly/3ptuk90

AJR Trucking, MDB Transportation Place Largest Kenworth Order to Date, The Trucker | https://bit.ly/3hywtf7

ConMet Investing in Zero-Emission Trailer, TruckingInfo | https://bit.ly/3hCdOyM

Lightning eMotors Doubles Production Capacity, Assembly | https://bit.ly/3HzRKzt

EPRI and CALSTART Develop Megawatt Truck Charging, Fleet Equipment | https://bit.ly/3tlTqHP

Proterra Bus Travel 1700 Miles Using Public Charging, electrek | https://bit.ly/3MdgIIC

Siemens, Nexii Reveal Modular EV Charging Concept, NGT New | https://bit.ly/3sy6xq7

Global Commercial Vehicle Drive to Zero, CALSTART | https://bit.ly/3hzZI0U