NEWSNOTES | August 24, 2022
News Notes

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) has almost completed the installation of more than 1,300 Electric Vehicle (EV) chargers, including Level 2 and DC Fast Charging options. 832 EV chargers are already installed with the remainder expected to be installed by year’s end. The top ten largest U.S. airports already offer some EV charging.

Hyundai and Kia are gearing up to overtake Tesla as the company with the number one EV market share in the U.S. Tesla’s more than a decade in the market gives them a competitive edge but Financial Times says the long term-trend for the South Korean automakers is looking good.

Turnkey solutions are a hallmark of industry business models and Blue Bird has a new offering for electric school bus fleets. Their solutions include a range of school bus models, various charging options, and customer assistance in assessing vehicle, infrastructure and identifying grant support.  On the yard truck side, Orange EV is working to make electrification accessible to fleet customers with the expansion of their fleet rental program which is now available in forty-eight states. The program allows operators to meet short-term and medium-term coverage needs and includes purchases, leases, and rentals.

It is not even the end of the year and there are “best of” lists in the news today. Up first are new EV automakers to watch and for our purposes let us focus on new member VinFast, which is a Vietnamese car brand headquartered in Singapore. The company unveiled three new all-electric models at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this year. We are pleased to welcome them as a new CALSTART member.

For those wondering what the best electric pickup trucks are for 2022, Car & Driver has some opinions. The three they showcase include the Ford F-150 Lightning, the Rivian R1T, and the GMC Hummer EV. If you want to see how versatile the Rivian R1T is, look no further than one owner in Idaho’s Bear Lake as he uses the truck to launch his boat from the beach shore.

Electric transportation company Bird said it has been permitted an extension of shared e-mobility programs by certain cities around the country. Bird partners with cities and universities to offer students, residents, and visitors eco-friendly mobility options. Many cities are involved including San Diego, Memphis, Newark, Durham, Minneapolis, Knoxville, Eugene, Louisville, and Bradenton.

Kudos to France whose most recent climate change policy involves giving people who turn in their gas guzzling old cars for an e-bike the U.S. equivalent of about $4,000. The French government wants 9% of the country to switch to bicycles by 2024.

RESOURCES 

LAX Adding 1,300 New Chargers, electrek | https://bit.ly/3pD4Plf

Hyundai and Kia Are Still Coming for Tesla, Jalopnik | https://bit.ly/3RazEZZ

Blue Bird Offers Charging for Electric School Buses, CHARGED EVs | https://bit.ly/3Anf2a7

Orange EV Takes Yard Truck Rental Program Nationwide, Green Car Congress | https://bit.ly/3wsIivc

New EV Automakers to Watch, CARBUZZ | https://bit.ly/3wrBoGG

Best Electric Trucks for 2022, Car&Driver | https://bit.ly/3cjFKsu

Watch Rivian R1T Drive into Bear Lake, INSIDEEVs | https://bit.ly/3wrcsPc

Bird Secures Permit Extensions, Expands, Mass Transit | https://bit.ly/3AJUlGZ

France Giving Cash to Those Who Trade their Car for an e-Bike, The Verge | https://bit.ly/3dY5Amo